Gotta Be Somebody
by Fireyoukaigirl
Summary: Scarlett Moreene is not your average woman, for many reasons. When she is sent by her "brother" to protect Seto Kaiba for reasons neither of them understand, she must overcome the obstacles of what she is. A YGO fanfic using inspiration from Twilight.
1. We Met

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own YuGiOh or Twilight. I'm merely combining ideas for the sake of writing a hopefully interesting story.**

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The burning in my throat was almost painful. I _despised_ big cities. They were just more chances to expose what I really was. The sun shone brightly and I had to shield my eyes. I thanked whatever higher being there was that I had the ring given to me by my best friend. It was the only thing keeping me unnoticed by all the passersby. I walked down the busy sidewalk, holding my breath. I hated the feeling. It made me feel cut off from my senses.

"Of all the places to live, why did it have to be here," I muttered.

I soon came to the main doors of the tall skyscraper I was given directions to. I walked up to the front desk and the woman there gave me a slightly shocked, then envious, look. I was used to it by now.

"May I help you," she asked with a slight edge in her voice.

I was far from intimidated.

"I have an appointment. I'm Miss Moreene," I answered.

"Of course. Go on up."

I nodded before walking into the elevator. I took it all the way to the top floor and then walked down the hall to a large set of doors. I knocked gently, though I knew I'd be heard.

"Come in," a male voice called.

I opened the door and walked in, closing it behind me.

"Mr. Kaiba, my name is Scarlett Moreene," I introduced.

"What exactly is this meeting for? You never specified over the phone," he asked, his deep blue eyes searching my face.

"I wasn't sure if you would believe me."

He raised an eyebrow at me and I had the feeling he'd heard enough legends for a lifetime. Depending on how one viewed the situation, he could feel lucky it wasn't a legend.

"If you're here to tell me about some mystic mumbo jumbo, I don't want to hear it," he said tersely.

"It's all true, I assure you. This has nothing to do with old legends."

"And what is it?"

"You are in grave danger."

"You say that like I haven't heard it before."

"What?"

"For some kind of fortune teller, you aren't very good."

"That's not my job. Talk to my brother about that one. I'm merely the messenger and the one who was sent to save you," I answered.

"I don't need your help."

"So you'd rather die for no reason?"

The man before me glared harshly. I averted my gaze just past him and could see the view from the large windows that reached from floor to ceiling. The city-scape stretched as far as the eye could see. Cars raced down the streets as pedestrians tried to maneuver their way through the winding paths. All the buildings were shorter than the one I was currently in, but they all glistened in the sun.

"It's beautiful," I mumbled.

"What are you talking about?"

"The view from up here. Now I understand why someone might like it in the city. The view itself is beautiful."

"Are you going to stare out the window or are you going to tell me why you're here," Mr. Kaiba asked harshly.

I frowned before answering. I figured if he was going to be discourteous to me, I was allowed to do the same.

"I'm here to keep your sorry ass safe. Does that answer your question?"


	2. Feeding

Mr. Kaiba's harsh stare continued, but I simply sat in my chair, unphased. I'd given scarier looks to people.

"I don't need your protection," he told me and I could hear him struggling to restrain his annoyance.

"My brother begs to differ. He told me that if I didn't come here and save your life, it would affect me. How it could is beyond me, but Darren's never been wrong before," I explained.

"There's a first time for everything."

_'Not when he's been predicting the future for the past hundred years,' _I inwardly muttered.

"Look, I can't leave if your death will somehow affect me. If it makes you feel better, I'll stay out of your way and keep my mouth shut," I told him.

"Get out of my office before I call security."

"If you would just calm down and listen to me-"

"I said leave!"

I frowned, but stood up nonetheless.

"Whatever," I muttered before turning around and leaving the room.

As soon as I was back in the hallway, I took out my phone and called Darren.

"Hello," he answered.

"Are you sure this is the guy? He just told me to get the hell away from him before he called security," I asked.

"Of course I'm sure, Scarlett. He's the one I saw in my vision. Just hang around him for a while. You're bound to get through to him somehow."

"If you say so."

"You're going to save him no matter what, as we already know. Now the only thing you need to figure out is when and why."

"I already know why. I'm going to save him because I know it's going to affect me. Not to sound self-centered or anything, but if something throws me off as much as you say it could, I might end up revealing us. I'd prefer if that didn't happen."

"Then just stick with it. You'll grow on him," Darren said in a calm voice.

"Fine, but I need to get something in my system first. I felt like I was going to die on the walk to the building," I told him.

Darren laughed at the joke only he and I could understand.

"Alright, just don't kill anyone while you're out there," he answered.

"You know I won't. I'll call you later."

With that, I hung up the phone and walked into the elevator, taking it down to the first floor. As soon as I was on the sidewalk again, I had to hold my breath. I walked slightly faster than before, but still slow enough to go unnoticed. I hailed a taxi and climbed in before shutting the door behind me.

"Where to, miss," the driver asked.

"The outskirts of the city, if you don't mind," I answered.

The man gave me a slightly confused look, probably wondering why I'd want to go out that way, but started driving nonetheless. The ride was far too long in my opinion, lasting a half-hour. If I hadn't been restrained to an average speed, I probably could have covered the distance on foot in the same amount of time, if not ten minutes less.

When the cab stopped, I paid for my ride and began walking. I searched the area around me before running at top speed into the nearby wilderness. It didn't take long for me to find what I needed. I stopped running in order to study my prey. There were just a few deer, but they were better than nothing. There were three of them, two does and a buck. I lunged forward, snapping the necks of all three of the deer with ease. I preferred to make their deaths quick and painless; more humane. I sank my fangs into the buck first, draining him in a few minutes, before moving on to the does. The woods around me were dense and I didn't need to worry about someone stumbling upon my feeding. I would have smelled them long before that could happen.

Once I had finished drinking from the deer, I was full but my throat still had a dull burn. That was something I had gotten used to long ago. I knew I probably had blood dripping from my lips and swiped it away with the back of my hand. I looked down at my outfit, a deep purple, long skirt with a matching tank top, and was very pleased with myself. There was not a fold in my outfit out of place. That meant I could go back into the city without worrying about any stares. I began running back through the woods, on my way towards Domino City again. I would have to come up with some way to make Seto Kaiba come anywhere near me.


	3. Right Place, Right Time

I made it to the city in a half hour and forced myself to walk at the speed of everyone around me. I hated having to remain so inconspicuous. It made me feel like I was moving in slow motion. I cut through the city park, still trying to think of a way to get near Mr. Kaiba. I was still aware of my surroundings, however. There was an old woman feeding birds with her grandson. Twenty feet to my right, a group of teenage girls were talking about the latest movie and straight ahead, I could see the road that went past the park.

I stepped past the park gates and looked around, trying to figure out exactly where I was. I heard someone's heart rate increase and turned my head in time to see a young boy freeze at the sound of screeching brakes. I ran into the road and pushed the boy forward. I held him close to my chest as I skidded on my back to the other side of the road. His heart was still racing and he was still trembling after we came to a stop. I stroked his long, black, messy hair gently, refusing to take a breath.

"Are you okay," I asked, my voice tender.

The boy looked up, his amethyst eyes wide.

"Y-You saved me," he whispered.

I smiled softly, careful not to show any of my teeth.

"Are you two okay," a man asked.

"I'm fine, what about you," I asked the boy again.

"I'm okay."

"That's good."

And that was the last of the air I had in my lungs. The boy got off me and stood up. I followed suit.

"We should bring you to a hospital," a woman in the newly formed crowd called.

"Really, I'm fine. I'm more worried about the boy," I insisted.

I had to sneak in a quick breath before I could speak.

"I'm okay. Thank you," the boy answered, looking up at me.

He appeared to be about fifteen years old.

"What's going on here," a male voice asked, pushing through the crowd.

I recognized it instantly.

"Seto," the boy beside me yelled and ran forward to hug the man who had come forward.

"Mokuba, what happened?"

"This woman saved the boy's life. She's a hero," the man from before answered.

Mr. Kaiba looked up and saw me I simply smiled and waved.

"Anyone would have done the same, really," I answered.

"But you came from practically out of nowhere," Mokuba told me.

At that, my smile faltered for half a second. How could he have noticed how fast I was moving? I was just at the end of the sidewalk.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was right over there. I was just in the right place at the right time," I said, pointing to a spot across the road.

"What happened to the car," Mr. Kaiba asked.

"It was basically a hit and run, without the tragedy of a hit."

"Thank you for rescuing my brother, Miss Moreene."

"Like I said, anyone would have done the same."

"Seto, you know her," Mokuba asked.

Mr. Kaiba simply nodded. We were still surrounded by people and I was hoping they would leave. I had no such luck. They were all murmuring about how I'd saved Mokuba and that I should be rewarded in some way. If I could, I would have blushed.

"If you would like, come to my office and we can discuss this further," Mr. Kaiba said, though I was sure he was a little unwilling.

I nodded and followed him through the break in the crowd. As it turned out, we weren't very far from Kaiba Corp's main building. We went through the same route I had gone just hours before and ended up in Mr. Kaiba's office again. I took the same beige seat as before while Mr. Kaiba sat at his desk and Mokuba stood beside him.

"What do you want," Mr. Kaiba asked harshly.

"I don't want anything more than what I proposed before. You don't need to pay me or anything. Just let me do what I came here for," I answered simply, still being as courteous as strictly necessary.

"What did she ask for," Mokuba asked.

"If I let you do what you came here for, will you stay out of my way and keep quiet about this whole thing," Mr. Kaiba asked.

"I swear on my life," I answered.

I shook Seto Kaiba's hand and resisted the urge to smile at my faulty promise.

"Since we're going to be working so closely, I'm going to refer to you as 'Kaiba'," I finished, the faintest of a smile playing on my lips.


	4. Business As Usual

I'd spent a week in the Kaiba Corp building and learned my way around quickly. I was even given a room on the fifth floor, which was strictly living quarters. I was only given the room to avoid talk of a strange woman entering the building every day. The living space was simple enough; blue walls, a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom and a kitchen. Of course, I had no use for most of the rooms. As I lay on my bed, I allowed my mind to wander to exactly how Kaiba would affect my life in such a way that his death would change my existence. I couldn't really say my life could be altered, considering I was technically dead.

"What could possibly happen," I mumbled.

I then heard someone nearing the front door to my apartment. I stood up and was at the door the second they started knocking. I opened the door and saw Mokuba standing there, his fist still raised in the air.

"Can I help you," I asked with a small smile.

"Seto has a meeting in ten minutes and I thought you might want to be there," he answered.

"Of course. Which room is it in?"

"Just follow me."

I locked my door behind me and walked behind Mokuba. We went up to the second to last floor and walked into a room with a very long table surrounded by multiple chairs. Kaiba was already seated at the head of the table and there were two seats behind him. That was where Mokuba and I would be sitting.

"What is this meeting for," I asked, taking my seat.

"Other companies know that Kaiba Corp is the most successful and they all want a piece of it. This is just a way for them to try to negotiate," Mokuba explained.

"I take it they rarely succeed."

"Seto's not giving up this company for anything."

I nodded in understanding. I imagined he had worked hard to get to where he was now. It was only natural that he would be so unwilling to lose the company.

"Just remember that you aren't giving any input," Kaiba said as he finished setting up the papers in front of him.

He didn't bother to glance at me as he spoke.

"I wasn't intending to," I answered and crossed one leg over the other.

The sun shone in through the large windows and our shadows stretched across the room. I began watching as random flecks of dust floated through the air. Ten minutes later, all the business men entered the room and took their seats. There were twenty of them.

"Who, may I ask, is that lovely lady behind you," one of the men asked, trying to make small talk.

He looked to be in his fifties, as his hair was graying.

"She's just an observer," Kaiba answered.

I nodded politely and pulled out a notepad and pen.

"Taking notes, are we," another man asked with an amused chuckle.

"She's studying Business in college," Kaiba answered.

They all accepted that explanation and the meeting began. For the most part, it was very dull and I found it hard to concentrate. I spent a great deal of time writing down lyrics to songs that came to mind. I had to make it look like I was taking notes on the meeting. After the two hour meeting was over, all the businessmen left, clearly unappy with the results. Kaiba wouldn't budge on their offers.

"How do you stay focused? All of their talking is a load of bullshit," I asked.

Kaiba didn't answer as he put everything in his suitcase. I frowned and started to take a step forward. Mokuba grabbed my wrist, stopping me. I glanced back at him and he was shaking his head. I picked up my pen and notepad again and wrote my question, asking what was wrong with Kaiba. Mokuba wrote his answer before handing the paper back to me

'Seto is always like this after a meeting. It's not a good idea to bother him when he's like this,' the note read.

I shrugged my shoulders and left the meeting room. I hurried upstairs to Kaiba's office and let myself in. The room was as spotless as it was every time I saw it. However, there was something there that wasn't before. It was a deck of cards, stacked perfectly on Kaiba's desk. I lifted the top card and I saw a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Wow... I heard there are only four of these in the world," I mumbled.

"Three, actually," Kaiba said from behind me.

I calmly set the card down and turned to face him.

"Where'd the fourth go?"

"What makes you think I know?"

"You have one, so you probably have more. You seem like the kind of person who would go after four of the most powerful cards in the game."

Kaiba simply walked past me and picked up his deck. He also put on one of those weird duel disks he invented. I had never gotten into the game, but I had a collected a few cards myself.

"Going somewhere," I asked.

"I've been challenged to a duel."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Says who?"

"Says me. You agreed to let me do what I came for. That means tagging along when you go somewhere," I answered.

"What happened to staying out of my way," Kaiba asked.

"I will be out of your way. I'm just an observer, remember?"

Kaiba glared at me for using his own words against him. I smirked, knowing I'd won.

"Fine, but hurry up," he muttered and walked towards the door.

I followed after him, just a few paces behind.


	5. A Glimpse of the Past

**I'm going to add in another disclaimer here. I DO NOT own any songs and/or musicians mentioned anywhere in this story.**

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Kaiba and I arrived at an outdoor mall and I looked around. There were various stores surrounding us, as well as hundreds of people walking by. All of their voices blended together into a low, continuous hum. Occasionally, a girl's laugh would pierce through the murmur, but that was it. I held my breath as my eyes darted around. The burn in my throat was getting worse, since I hadn't hunted in a week. I could normally go two weeks without a problem, but this was harder.

_'Looks like I'm going to have to change up my life-style a bit,'_ I thought to myself.

"Why meet someone in a place like this," I asked.

"He wants an audience," Kaiba answered, searching through the crowd.

I saw someone make his way towards us and come into the clearing. He had messy black hair and dark brown eyes. My own deep purple ones widened in shock. This man looked so much like someone from my past, but a little less muscular. Rage built within me and I had to restrain from lunging forward. A deep growl rumbled in my throat and Kaiba shot a strange look at me. That stopped my voice dead in my throat. I mentally cursed myself for being so reckless. I couldn't risk exposing myself. Besides, the man from my past was long since dead.

"I didn't think you were one to bring a cheerleader, Kaiba," the man said.

I frowned.

"I hope you weren't expecting that. I don't cheer," I said to Kaiba, but he ignored me.

"Let's get on with this," he said to his challenger.

"Allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Liam, and I will be known as the greatest duelist in the world once I defeat you," the dark haired man answered.

He put on a duel disk like Kaiba's and it lit up brightly.

"Let's duel," they both yelled.

"I'm out of here. I'll come back when your little game is over," I informed Kaiba before walking off.

He nodded slightly in acknowledgment, but nothing more. I walked into a nearby music store and browsed through what they had.

"What is this crap," I mumbled, seeing rows upon rows of CD cases depicting men and women with too many tattoos, too much jewelry, too little clothing, or any combination of the three.

I picked up one case and read the song titles on the back. I scowled before setting back down, though I would have liked to throw it.

_'People today have no taste in music,'_ I inwardly muttered.

"Can I help you, miss," a feminine voice asked, walking up to me.

"No, I'm fine, but thank you. I'm just looking around," I answered with a slight smile.

The woman nodded slowly, her mouth dropped open. That was another reaction I had to get used to. I could almost hear Darren and my creator, Serephine, telling me to act like nothing was wrong. I walked past the auburn haired woman and towards the back of the store. There I found a lot of rock, alternative and goth metal. I picked up a CD by one of my favorite groups, Within Temptation, and glanced through the song titles. It was the same CD I had sitting in the house I shared with Darren. At that moment, I heard Kaiba grunt in pain.

My eyes widened and I dropped the CD back onto the shelf. I ran at a slightly faster than human pace out of the store. Someone made a comment about how I could have been an Olympic runner. I was next to Kaiba in under a minute, quickly weaving through the surrounding crowd. The fear within me quickly disappeared when I realized nothing was wrong.

"Nearly made my heart restart," I muttered as Kaiba drew another card from his deck.

"Looks like your cheerleader came back," Liam called.

I rolled my eyes and walked away again.

_'I should have known it would be a false alarm,'_ I told myself.

I sat on a nearby bench and stared down at the small ring on my finger, my long black hair draping in front of my face. The ring was a silver band with Celtic designs carved into it. In the center was a smoky topaz, my birthstone. This was given to me by Serephine after she turned me into a vampire. Staring into the swirling amber color of my birthstone, my mind began to wander. I thought back to my human life, when things were simple. I was a pretty average young woman who had come from the average middle-class family. I earned good grades in school and, by the time I was twenty, was looking to further my education. Then, everything was destroyed that one night. That was the night I became a vampire. Another growl rumbled within me when I thought back to the events that took place before Serephine had saved me.

My memories were cut short when I heard someone approaching me, though they were still at least thirty feet away. I looked up and saw Kaiba nearing.

"I take it you won," I guessed.

"Of course," he answered.

I stood up and began walking alongside him.

"What was the look for earlier," Kaiba asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You looked like you were going to kill my opponent."

"Oh... It's nothing. Just bad memories," I answered.

Kaiba glanced at me, but let the matter drop. The rest of the walk was silent.


	6. News From Darren

I had gotten through another three weeks with Kaiba and Mokuba. I realized I could still go hunting ever two weeks without many problems. I was becoming closer to Mokuba and he seemed to like me. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard my cell phone start ringing. I picked it up and saw that Darren was calling me.

"Hello," I answered.

"How are things going over there," he asked.

"Not very well. The guy is all about the company or dueling. I don't get how anything dangerous could come his way with that."

"Who knows? Maybe the danger is still in its early stages."

"Then can't we find it and rid the world of it before the situations comes to life or death?"

"Scarlett, you know it doesn't work that way," Darren answered.

I sighed and place my hand of my forehead.

"I know, but sometimes I wish it could be that simple."

"So do I. Scarlett, I saw something else."

I sat upright on my bed, my eyes wide. Did his previous vision become clearer, or was it something else entirely?

"What did you see," I asked, my voice nearly inaudible to the human ear.

"Something's going to come up and you'll need my help. I'm coming up there in five days."

"Are you serious? It's that bad, huh? Alright, I'll try to convince Kaiba into letting you stay with me," I answered.

"Scarlett, I want you to be careful until I get there. Don't let anything happen to you," Darren whispered, his voice tender.

He was only three years older than me, but he still protected me like an older brother would.

"I'll be careful."

I hung up the phone after a quick goodbye and then stood up. I changed out of the clothes I wore for the night and into a pair of dark jeans and a red dress-shirt. I slipped on a pair of black shoes before leaving my apartment. I took the elevator up to the top floor and knocked on Kaiba's office door.

"What is it," he asked.

I opened the door and stepped inside. Kaiba was typing on his laptop and I glided across the room. He glanced up at me as I placed my hands on the edge of the desk.

"What do you want? I'm busy," he asked.

"My brother just called me. He said that something's going to come up where I'll need his help," I started.

"You still expect me to believe your brother can see the future?"

"Yes, I do. Kaiba, please, let him stay here. He can live in my apartment. Hell, he'd probably prefer it."

"Whatever. I don't care," Kaiba answered, not bothering to look away from what he was working on.

"Thank you, Kaiba. Darren's coming in five days."

Kaiba finally looked away from his work. He stopped typing altogether and slowly pulled his hands away from the laptop.

"You made plans to bring your brother here without consulting me first?"

"No. Darren made plans to come into the city to help me out. I asked if he could live here with me. You said it was fine, so now I'm going to call my brother and tell him," I answered.

"I thought he could see the future."

"Not on command. If he could do that, then I wouldn't be here, now would I?"

Kaiba cocked an eyebrow at me and I just smiled before walking out of the office. I immediately called Darren and told him the news.

"I'll see you in five days, then," he answered and I could tell he was smiling.

"See you then. I'm going out. I haven't in two weeks," I told him.

"Scarlett, you shouldn't be risking it like that."

"It's been fine so far. As long as no one gets a paper cut in the next few hours, I'm fine. I'll see you soon."

I hung up my phone and turned my head to the side.

"I'm going out, Kaiba. I'll be back in a few hours," I called over my shoulder before walking towards the elevator. I rode it down to the first floor and, once outside, hailed a taxi.

"Where can I take you," the driver asked.

"The outskirts of the city," I answered and sat back in my seat for the half-hour ride.

I desperately needed to go hunting. I knew Darren was right about the risk of exposure I was taking, but I had to make sure nothing happened to Kaiba. The more I left him alone, the more vulnerable to attack he would be. After the car ride, I paid the driver and began walking into the woods.

"Let's hope things will be easier when Darren comes," I mumbled before running through the trees.


	7. Surprise

I was back at Kaiba Corp by noon, feeling much better than I had all morning. I walked into Kaiba's office to let him know I'd returned, only to find him still working.

"What now," he asked.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm back. What exactly are you working on," I asked.

"I'm making sure everything is running smoothly."

"And that requires you to be on a computer all day? Don't you think you should do something outside this office?"

Kaiba didn't answer me, typing furiously on the keyboard. I frowned and pushed the screen of his laptop down, closing it. He pulled his hands back before they could be pressed down.

"What are you-" Kaiba started.

"I don't like being ignored, Mr. Kaiba," I answered with a slight smirk.

Kaiba glared at me and grabbed my wrist with the intention of moving my hands.

_'Why won't she leave me alone,'_ his voice rang in my mind before he jerked away from me.

There were moments when I really loved the ability I had gained when Serephine turned me into a vampire. Whenever someone touched my skin, I could hear the thoughts they had at that exact moment.

"Is something wrong, Kaiba," I asked innocently, a sweet smile on my face.

"I just heard your thoughts," he answered, still in shock.

My smile instantly vanished. That was _not_ something I had expected. Never before had someone been able to hear _my_ thoughts upon touching my skin. I thought he pulled away due to the coldness of my skin hand, but I was obviously wrong.

"You what," I asked, almost yelling.

I heard someone near the office and open the door.

"Seto, I- What's wrong," Mokuba asked, running across the room.

Kaiba's eyes were still wide in disbelief.

"What are you," the CEO asked me.

I bit my lower lip, not showing any teeth at all.

"Seto, what's wrong? What happened?"

I could hear Mokuba's increasing heart rate as his worry grew. I rested my hand on Kaiba's and could hear him thinking of how utterly impossible it all was.

_'I suggest you pull yourself together for Mokuba's sake, if nothing else. We can talk about this later if you want,' _I told him before removing my hand from his.

I calmly walked out of the room and shut the door behind me. I waited until I was in my apartment before I grabbed the phone and called Darren.

"Is something wrong," he asked in a worried tone, knowing I wouldn't have called without reason.

"Yes, something is very wrong," I nearly yelled.

This only scared Darren more and I could hear him shuffling items in the background.

"I'll be there in a few hours. Can you hold out until then?"

"Darren, I'm not in danger of being destroyed. I'm worried about exposure."

The shuffling in the background immediately stopped.

"Scarlett, don't do that to me. You nearly made my heart restart. I thought something had attacked you."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, but I was just really freaked out. I mean, he heard me! That's awful!"

"Scarlett, slow down and start from the beginning," Darren interrupted.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"Kaiba grabbed my wrist and I heard his thoughts. Nothing new, right? He jerked away and I thought it was because of how cold my skin is. I decided to play dumb and ask what was wrong, like you and Serephine taught me to do. Then he told me that he heard my thoughts. That's never happened before, especially not with a human. Darren, what do I do," I asked.

"Try to keep a low profile until I get there. I'll leave early."

"No. It's okay. You don't need to change your plans. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. There _is_ one little problem, though. I kind of told him I'd explain it later."

Darren groaned and I was sure he had his head in his hand.

"Scarlett, what were you thinking?!"

"That _is _what I was thinking. I had to tell him with my thoughts because Mokuba was there."

"Then just give him bits of information. Let him guess at what you are, just don't tell him," Darren answered.

"Alright. Hopefully he'll buy into it."

"Choose your words carefully when you talk to him about this."

"I will," I answered and shut off the phone.

Five minutes later, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to see Mokuba.

"My brother said he wants you to come see him at eight tonight," the teenage boy before me said.

I could tell he was still worried. His tone of voice and the way he carried himself said it all.

"I'll be there. And Mokuba, there's nothing to worry about. I promise," I said with a small smile.

A smile formed on his lips and he nodded before walking away.


	8. Compromise

That night, I walked up to Kaiba's office and knocked on the door. He told me to come in and I stepped into the room, silently shutting the door behind me. I pushed away from it and took a seat in the beige chair before Kaiba's desk. He just stared at me the whole time. I could tell he was waiting for me to start speaking.

"What do you want to know," I asked.

"What are you," Kaiba asked.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"What happened today was far from anything I've experienced before. What was it?"

"It's a little ability I have, like how my brother can see the future. We're psychics, in a way."

"What do you mean, 'in a way'?"

"There's no such thing as a typical psychic. Darren is psychic in the sense of seeing the future. Mine is a bit more limited. I can only read someone's thoughts when they touch my skin. For example, when I saved Mokuba, he was repeating over and over how much he didn't want to die," I explained.

"Then why could I hear you," Kaiba asked.

"I don't know."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Believe what you want. I don't care if you think I know how that worked."

"I don't believe in this psychic stuff you're pushing on me."

"Again, believe what you want. I don't really care," I answered with a shrug.

"If you don't tell me what you are, I'll have security take you out of here and keep your fortune-telling brother from entering the building," Kaiba threatened.

I straightened in my chair and glared at him.

"That's hardly fair, don't you think? I'm giving my time to keep you from getting killed and you're threatening me? Did you ever take into consideration that it may be better if you _don't_ know why I can do what I do?"

I was on the verge of yelling and had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"And how would that be?"

"Haven't you heard? Ignorance is bliss."

"And hindsight is twenty-twenty. Are you going to keep throwing me cheap proverbs or are you going to give me an explanation before I call security?"

Kaiba's patience was quickly wearing thin, as was mine. I gave an exasperated sigh and rubbed my fingers against my temples.

"Why won't you just accept that we're psychics and leave it at that," I asked after a moment.

"It sounds like a bad cover-up. If that was all there was, then why didn't you say so when Mokuba was here," Kaiba demanded.

I knew he had a point, but I hated how he'd reached that conclusion.

"Are you trained as a lawyer or something because you're looking for every loophole and I really hate you right now?"

"Just tell me what you are!"

"What the hell do you think I am, Kaiba?! Since you're so dead-set on thinking I'm not human, list off some mythical creatures for all I care! Pick one off the top of your head and say I'm that!"

I stood up in my chair and started towards the door.

"Where are you going," Kaiba asked.

"Aren't we done here? You're either going to accept my answer as is, or you're going to kick me out. So, which creature did you decide on?"

"Those don't exist."

"You've caught my attention, Kaiba. If I'm not human and not an animal, then what am I," I asked.

"I don't know."

"Then why don't we keep this as simple as possible. You keep an open mind and trust me on this one thing. We'll act like this whole thing never happened and if you ever figure out what I am, let me know. Does that sound good to you? We'll take this one step at a time."

Kaiba was silent for a moment. He was obviously contemplating the compromise I had suggested. I could practically see the gears in his head turning. I wondered why he was so hard-headed and unwilling to trust me. Did he have a difficult past as well?

"Fine," Kaiba finally answered and I smiled.

I shook his hand and his eyes widened slightly at the though I'd sent to him.

'_Thank you for trusting me this one time.'_

I left his office in a much better mood than I was in before. I went down to my apartment and drew a bath for myself. I soaked in the warm water for a few minutes, relaxing away all of the frustration I had left. I smiled as I let out a content sigh. All that was left to do was wait for Darren to arrive in just four more days.


	9. Arrival

I stared outside the window as the rain poured down in sheets. The autumn weather was finally kicking in now that we were in early October. The view from the window was completely distorted by the rain pelting the glass. I rested my chin against the palm of my hand and sighed. The beautiful view from Kaiba's office was nothing to look at now. I could hear Kaiba typing on his keyboard and occasionally writing down a few notes on the notepad next to his laptop. For the most part, the room was silent. My eyes darted around what little view I had, searching for any sign of Darren. Finally, the silence was broken when my phone started ringing and I immediately picked it up.

"Hello," I answered.

"I'm here. I'm at the front doors," Darren said.

"I'll be down in a minute."

I closed the phone and ran out the door. I took the elevator down to the first floor, which took far too long for my taste. Once the doors opened, I ran across the floor and threw my arms around Darren's neck. His black hair stuck to my face from the rain drenching him. Darren wrapped his arms around me and gave me a tight squeeze.

"Ready to meet Kaiba," I asked when I let him go.

"Of course," he answered with a smile.

Darren and I took the elevator back up to the top floor and we saw Mokuba standing in the hallway. He was struggling with a large stack of papers.

"Mokuba, let me help you with those," I offered and took the top half of the papers from him.

"Thanks, Scarlett. Is that your brother," he asked.

"Yeah. Mokuba, this is Darren. Darren, this is Mokuba, Kaiba's little brother."

"Nice to meet you," Darren answered.

"What are all these papers for anyway," I asked.

"They're a bunch of things Seto needs to sign," Mokuba answered.

"Sounds fun."

Darren chuckled and we began walking down the hall again.

"Darren, go ahead and open the door. He's not busy or anything," I said as we neared Kaiba's office.

My brother knocked twice on the door before opening it for Mokuba and me.

"We bring paperwork and my brother," I called with a smile.

Mokuba and I set the papers on Kaiba's desk before moving on to introductions.

"It's a pleasure to meet the one Scarlett has told me so much about," Darren answered, holding out his hand.

Kaiba shook it and I could see the slight frown form when he felt Darren's cold hand. The CED then cocked and eyebrow at me for Darren's comment.

"I had to give him a status report," I defended.

"I have to say, you're the only person my sister's ability worked both ways on."

"Why exactly are you here," Kaiba asked, getting straight to the point.

"My sister will need my help and I intend to give it. It's as simple as that."

"And how long do you plan to be staying?"

"As long as necessary."

"Kaiba, he'll be in your way even less than I am," I added.

Kaiba nodded before glancing at the paperwork on his desk.

"Those are all the papers you need to sign," Mokuba said, noticing his brother's eyes.

"We'll be going now," Darren added and turned to leave.

I followed after and took him down to the apartment he'd be sharing with me.

"Welcome to our temporary home," I said with a smile as Darren set down his suitcase and put his backpack next to it.

"It's nice," he mumbled, looking around.

"The only problem with it is location. It takes a half-hour to get to some decent hunting grounds."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Scarlett," Darren answered.

"Of course it will be. You're better at the whole self-control thing than I am. It's been a bit of a struggle now that I'm in the city."

"It's your first time living in a city since you were turned. It's only natural."

I cocked an eyebrow at my brother.

"Darren, we're hardly natural. Hell, we have to pretend to be brother and sister for the sake of our cover. Granted, we act like siblings, but that's beside the point," I answered.

Darren simply chuckled.

"Don't you think it's a little dangerous to be having this conversation so loudly?"

"He's already figured I'm not human, but he doesn't know what to call me. He doesn't believe in our kind, or anything supposedly mythical for that matter," I whispered.

My voice would have sounded like a low hum to a human if there had been on in the room.

"All the better, then," Darren said in the same low whisper.

"Not really. He's more suspicious now. What if something happens because he decides to go looking for answers?"

"We'll just be careful. Scarlett, I swear I won't let anything happen to put you through the pain I saw."

"I just don't want to expose us," I mumbled.

Darren put his hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes.

"You won't," he answered, a softness in his purple eyes.

I wrapped my arms around my brother and held him tightly. He rubbed my back to calm me down. I pressed my forehead to the base of his neck and could read his thoughts.

'_What if _that's_ the reason his death would hurt her,'_ Darren wondered.

I pulled away and gave him a confused look. He shook his head.

"I was just toying with an idea. It's highly unlikely," my brother answered and moved to pick up his things.

I couldn't help but wonder what idea he could be toying with that he didn't want me to know.


	10. Persuasion

"You know, Kaiba, Halloween's coming up," I said, lazily playing with my hair.

Darren and I were in his office while Kaiba worked. My brother was sitting still in one of the chairs, obviously hoping for another vision to come.

"What's your point," Kaiba asked.

"A little birdie told me he hasn't had a decent Halloween in a long time and that you've been way too engrossed in your work lately."

Kaiba looked up from his work, a slight glare in his eyes.

"What did he say?"

"Technically, he didn't _say _anything."

"Scarlett, don't tell me you-" Darren started.

"It wasn't intentional, I promise. I was helping him and our hands brushed. That's what I got in the course of a second or two," I explained.

I looked over at Darren to see him put his hand on his head.

"You should be more careful," he whispered so quietly that Kaiba couldn't have possibly heard him.

"And what do you suggest," the CEO asked.

"Take him to a party or something. I'm sure you can think of some way to spend time with your little brother. The company's not going to fall to the ground if you take the night off next Friday," I suggested.

"What are you trying to pull," Darren asked, still in a low murmur.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," I answered just as quietly.

I directed my attention towards Kaiba and spoke at a normal volume.

"I hear there's going to be a pretty cool party just down the road. You and Mokuba should go. Darren and I were planning to," I said.

"Say what now?"

"Play along," I hissed inaudibly.

"That's right. Scarlett was talking with me about it today. There's going to be a Halloween party next Friday. I'm sure Mokuba would love to go," Darren said, backing me up.

Kaiba glanced over at him before speaking.

"And what makes you say that with such certainty," he asked.

"Mokuba is a fifteen-year-old boy. I doubt hanging out inside a company building all day is his idea of fun."

"Come on, Kaiba. Aside from a few duels, you've had your nose in your work for the past two months I've been here. Live a little," I added.

"If I agree to go, will you leave me alone to finish my work," Kaiba asked.

"Sure."

"Fine. Now get out of my office."

I stood up with a smile and Darren and I left the room.

"I think I'm growing on him," I said cheerfully.

"And he on you," Darren answered with a smug smile.

I gave him a look of confusion.

"Excuse me."

"Scarlett, why did you insist Kaiba get out of the office?"

"Because he needs some excitement in his life. Besides, Mokuba's been feeling left out."

"Whatever you say," Darren mumbled while walking away.

I stared after him for a moment.

"Just what is that supposed to mean," I demanded, running after him.

I tackled my brother to the ground, causing a loud _crack _to echo through the hall. We both stared at each other, panic in our eyes. The door to Kaiba's office opened and the CEO stepped into the hallway.

"What happened out here," he asked.

"Nothing," Darren and I answered in unison.

He and I both stood up and hurried down the stairs. It wasn't until we were in our apartment that I started to really panic.

"Now he's going to be even more suspicious. Darren, what do we do," I asked frantically.

"Calm down. You don't know what he's thinking... yet," my brother answered, a smile forming on his lips.

I knew that look.

"What's your idea?"

"Touch him to find out what he thinks."

"Do you honestly think it'll be as simple as that?"

"Knowing our luck, probably not. You'll just have to find a way to be inconspicuous about it."

"Yeah, that'll be easy," I muttered. "Darren, he knows I can read his mind if I touch him and vice versa.

"It's the best thing we have," my brother answered.

I sighed, knowing he was right, and sat on the couch.

"Alright. I'll try to get some information from his thoughts."

"It'll be fine, Scarlett. I promise."


	11. Disaster

Over the course of the past week, I had been unable to get anything from Kaiba's thoughts. I didn't have any clue what he suspected of Darren and me. It was now Halloween night and Darren, Mokuba, Kaiba and I walked into the building hosting the party. We had all dressed for the occasion. Darren wore a tuxedo with a small mask covering his eyes while I wore a medieval maiden's gown with my hair pulled back into a simple braid. Kaiba simply wore a suit and Mokuba dressed up as a vampire. I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all. The music inside the building was loud and the beat pulsed through my body. It made me think back to what it felt like to actually have a pulse. While Darren, Mokuba and I went onto the dance floor, Kaiba stayed by the wall. At first, Mokuba was a little nervous about dancing, but he soon came out of his shell.

"Scarlett, I don't think Seto wants to be here," the younger of the two Kaiba brothers said after about an hour.

I glanced over at Kaiba to see him sitting alone at a table with a bored expression on his face.

"I'll fix that," I answered with a smile and walked over to the table.

I sat down across from Kaiba, looking into his eyes.

"You should join us. It'll be more fun than sitting over here," I suggested.

"Thanks, but no thanks," he answered.

"You look bored. Come on, one dance couldn't hurt."

Kaiba didn't answer. Instead, he gave me a highly annoyed and skeptical look.

"I don't dance," he finally said.

"Well, you will now. Come on," I answered and grabbed his wrist, my hand wrapped around the sleeve of his suit jacket.

I stood up and walked onto the dance floor, pulling Kaiba along with me.

"Let me go," he ordered.

_I'm dying to catch my breath  
__Oh why don't I ever learn?  
__I've lost all my trust,  
__Though I've surely tried to turn it around_

"Looks like you're in luck. It's a nice, easy slow song," I said and placed my hands on Kaiba's shoulders.

_Can you still see the heart of me?  
__All my agony fades away  
__When you hold me in your embrace_

Kaiba finally rested his hands on my lower back and we started swaying just before the chorus of the song started.

"See, Seto, was that so hard," I whispered in his ear, a teasing tone in my voice.

_Don't tear me down for all I need  
__Make my heart a better place  
__Give me something I can believe  
__Don't tear me down  
__You've opened the door now don't let it close_

I looked over Kaiba's should and could see Darren and Mokuba watching from the sidelines. My brother had a smirk on his face. I briefly wondered if he had seen this in one of his visions. I mentally shrugged it off and continued to sway in time with the music and Kaiba. Finally, I rested my head on his shoulder, my forehead just barely touching his neck.

_'For once, being a vampire isn't interfering with my ability to enjoy myself,'_ I thought happily.

In that same instant, Kaiba let go of me and took a step back. I could see the shock on his face and heard his heart pound in his chest. I inwardly cursed myself for my stupidity.

"You're a," Kaiba started, but I covered his mouth with my hand.

"Don't panic, please," I whispered.

I moved us into the same position we were in before and started swaying. My head was on his neck again and I could feel his pulse racing.

_'Calm down, Kaiba. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm only doing this to avoid drawing attention,'_ I mentally told him.

He didn't answer. His mind was too jumbled to for a coherent thought.

_'Kaiba, I want you to think back to before I pulled you out to dance. What color were my eyes,'_ I asked.

_'Purple,'_ he answered after a minute.

_'That's right. That means you are perfectly safe, as is everyone in this room. I don't need any blood right now and I won't for another two weeks.'_

_'So you'll kill me in two weeks.'_

_'No. I don't drink human blood. I refuse to do that. I only hunt animals. Why else do you think I disappeared for a few hours every couple of weeks?'_

_'Is your brother one too?'_

_"Yes, he is. Kaiba, I need you to listen to me. You can't tell anyone what you've just heard. I swear, nothing will happen to you. I'm here to protect you and Darren is here to protect me, nothing more,'_ I explained.

_'From what,'_ Kaiba asked.

_'I wish I knew. That way, I could have gotten rid of it and we could have avoided this whole mess. Kaiba, I'm asking you to trust me again, for your sake as well as ours.'_

It took another moment, but he finally nodded as the song ended. I stepped back and let him go.

"Thank you," I whispered before walking past him.

I went up to Darren and Mokuba. I could see the concern in my brother's eyes.

"I'm heading back. I'm not feeling too well," I said aloud so that Mokuba could hear me over the new song that had started playing.

Darren grabbed my wrist to stop me from going too far.

"What happened," he asked in a low whisper, his lips barely moving.

"I'll tell you later. You stay here and look after Kaiba and Mokuba," I answered in the same manner before pulling my hand free and walking out towards Kaiba Corp.


	12. Explanation

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I muttered, banging my head on the doorjamb to my bedroom.

I heard the front door open and someone walked into the apartment.

"Scarlett, stop that," Darren called, walking towards me.

"He knows what we are now."

I moved away from the doorjamb and sat on the bed, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I should have remembered that he was different, that he could hear me," I muttered.

"It was a simple mistake. I'm not blaming you. We'll just need to fix this," Darren answered.

"Are you kidding me? The Volturi's idea of 'fixing this' is killing him off. We can't do that."

"We're not going to."

"Then what do we do? If the Volturi find out a human knows about us, they'll come."

"Scarlett, you need to talk to him."

My head snapped up and I stared at my brother incredulously. He looked perfectly calm and serious.

"No. No, no, no. I can't do that. This is bad enough as is. Don't make me try to talk to him," I pleaded.

Darren just stared at me, unwavering. I groaned, knowing he was right. I wished he wasn't. Darren smirked.

"You'll want to talk to him soon, before he does something rash," he said.

I sighed, nodding my head.

"Alright, I'll go now," I muttered before standing up and walking towards the door.

"He's with Mokuba in their section of the building," Darren said.

"Two floors up. Got it."

With that, I walked out of our apartment. I opted to take the stairs, going slowly up the flights. I finally made it up to Kaiba's floor and stopped in front of the door. I just stood there for a minute, wishing to be anywhere else. I finally knocked on the door, very lightly. The door opened and Kaiba stared down at me.

"May I speak with you in private," I asked, looking back up at him.

Kaiba stepped aside, silently allowing me in. I walked into the living room and waited for Kaiba to sit down before I did so across from him.

"I take it you have some questions for me," I said after a moment of silence.

I heard someone creep down the hall, trying to listen in.

"You're a vampire," Kaiba stated, clarifying what had been said earlier.

There was a small, almost inaudible gasp and I frowned.

"Great. There's one more person. You really should be more observant, Kaiba," I muttered.

"What are you talking about?"

"Mokuba, come out here."

The teenage boy walked into the living room, his eyes downcast. I could hear his heart racing, though.

"Since you know, you might as well sit down," I told him.

Mokuba sat in the last chair and waited.

"What's going on," he asked after a few silent minutes.

"I'm open for questions."

"Do you really drink blood?"

Mokuba's heart was still racing.

"Only animals," I answered and he instantly calmed down.

"How can you hide it so well," Kaiba asked.

He was putting a lot of thought behind his questions, whereas Mokuba was asking about stories told about vampires.

"Years of practice," I answered with a smile.

Kaiba raised and eyebrow.

"How old _are_ you?"

"Depends on how you count it. I could say I'm twenty, or I could say I'm one hundred and twenty. Neither one is a lie."

"You've been a vampire for a hundred years," Mokuba asked in astonishment.

"That's right."

"What about your brother?"

"Well, even though we say he's my twin brother, he's actually been nineteen for a while. Darren celebrated his hundred and thirtieth birthday a few months ago," I answered.

"And you came here to protect me from something when you don't even know what it is," Kaiba inquired skeptically.

"That's right. Darren saw an overlapping vision, which means one of two things will happen. I'll either save your life from something, or I'll cry over your dead body. I'd like to avoid the latter, for many reasons."

Kaiba nodded, deciding not to ask my reasons. I liked that he kept his questions down to a factual basis, rather than emotional.

"How did you become a vampire," Mokuba asked and I bit my lip.

That was always a tough subject for me.

"It's kind of a long story," I answered.

"Please, Scarlett."

I glanced over at Kaiba, asking with my eyes if I could go into that. He simply nodded, though I almost wished he didn't. I sighed before starting.

"I was attacked in the middle of the night. There was no rhyme or reason. Someone simply wanted to ruin me. I had always been strong, but not strong enough. There was only one man, but he was very muscular. He caught me from behind and shoved me into an alley. My head slammed against a brick wall and that itself nearly knocked me unconscious. If only I had been so lucky. He continued to beat me, pulling out a knife as well. I won't go into the gory details, for Mokuba's sake, but once he was done," I choked on my words, "violating me, he left me for dead.

"I thought I was going to die. I was sure of it. I was filled with so much anger and hate for that man, and I didn't even know his name. I'll never forget his face, though. He had messy black hair and dark brown eyes. Then I heard someone walk up to me. It was an unnaturally beautiful woman. She was my close friend, Serephine. I knew what she was and begged her to change me into a vampire as well. Sere tried to warn me of the pain involved. I told her I didn't care, that I'd deal with it when it came. I just wanted to keep going. She knew I didn't have a lot of time left, so she went through with it. That was the most painful experience I have ever endured.

"I felt like my entire body was on fire. I couldn't move. I couldn't think, not about anything but the pain. Sere had somehow managed to bring me to her house before I could start screaming. Three days later, this is what I became. My life ended that night, but I continue to exist. I've been on this earth for a long time and have lost a lot of people. Eventually, I stopped letting people in to avoid the pain. I only allowed myself to get close to Darren and Serephine. They became my family. That's pretty much how it's been fro the past hundred years," I finished.

I took another deep breath and averted my eyes. Both of the Kaiba brothers were staring at me in shock.


	13. Realization

My eyes were stinging, but I refused to cry. I had always been strong and I wasn't about to stop now. The Kaiba brothers were silent. I couldn't bring myself to look at them. Never before had I told a human about that night. Of course, never before had a human found out what I was. Mokuba was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

I looked up at him in surprise. Why was he apologizing to me? I shook my head.

"Don't apologize. The past is the past. It can't be changed," I answered quietly, just loud enough for them to hear.

The room was so quiet, even a human could hear a pin drop. I sighed again.

"Kaiba, what you do next is up to you. However, you can't let anyone know about this," I finally said.

"Who would believe me," he asked and my lips curled into the smallest of smiles.

"I can't thank you enough for this."

"Seto, are you still going to let them stay here," Mokuba asked.

His brother nodded after a moment and the smile on my face grew.

"You still trust me, even after I've told you all of that," I asked.

"Now I know what to expect," Seto answered.

"Thank you again, Seto."

I stood up and excused myself, leaving him and Mokuba to fully grasp everything I'd told them. I walked down the stairs to the fifth floor and entered the apartment I shared with Darren.

"How'd it go," he asked and then saw the tears still lining my eyes.

He was immediately by my side, his arm over my shoulder. I shook my head.

"I'm fine. It went surprisingly well," I answered.

"Then why are you about to cry?"

"I told them about the night I was turned."

Darren's eyes widened in shock. He knew as well as Serephine how traumatizing that night was. He knew I wouldn't have told just anybody.

"Are you sure you're okay? You've never had to tell that story before. Why did you?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry so much. You'll worry yourself to life. As for why I told them, I guess it's because it's about time I trusted them."

Darren's eyes showed confusion.

"What do you mean," he asked.

"I've asked them to trust me so many times. I decided it was time I trusted them with something," I answered.

"But you would usually never trust anyone besides Sere and myself with that. Why them?"

"I don't know, to be honest with you. I'm not sure exactly why I told them."

I placed my hand on Darren's hoping for comfort from his thoughts. Perhaps he could help me understand my actions. What I heard had just the opposite effect.

_'She's falling in love with him,'_ Darren's voice echoed in my mind.

I pulled away from him, my eyes wide.

"No. That's impossible. That can't happen. You and I both know that. It's not supposed to happen," I denied, trying not to yell.

"Scarlett, what else explains your irrational behavior?"

"But it's impossible! My heart has been dead for a hundred years."

"Your physical one, yes, but not your metaphysical one," Darren answered.

"Stop it."

"It's the same for him. Why else would you be able to convince him so easily? Why else would he let us stay after knowing what we are? Don't you see, Scarlett? It all makes sense now. Everything from my visions fit!"

"Then why don't you explain it to me Darren, because I have no clue what you're talking about," I asked, still trying not to yell at my brother.

"The fates decided to pull a paradox on us. I saw those first two visions, so I sent you here to protect him. I thought his possible death would affect you whether or not you knew him. Now I see I was wrong. If I hadn't sent you here to protect him, you wouldn't have fallen in love with him and his death couldn't possibly affect you."

"But your visions are always one hundred percent accurate, except when they overlap. Then it's one shot or the other."

"Exactly. If I had never seen that, none of this would have happened. Like I said, it's a paradox," Darren explained.

His eyes were bright and I could tell he was excited about figuring it all out. I felt as if I would be ill, if it were possible.

"Then I'll leave," I said.

Darren's expression changed to confusion again.

"What," he asked.

I started packing my bags in a hurry.

"I'm leaving. If I don't fall in love with him, then his death couldn't possibly hurt me. I have to get out of here, far away from Seto."

"Scarlett, you know you can't defy the visions."

I turned around, my suitcase in hand, and stared into the amethyst eyes of my brother.

"I can try," I answered and walked past him, out the door.


	14. Decision

I had run away, coward that I was. I hated it. I just left, no goodbyes or anything. I told myself it was better that way. It had to be. I couldn't hurt if I wasn't in love, and I most definitely wasn't in love with Seto Kaiba. But then, why did I have a dull ache in my chest? I tried to think of every explanation for it, but nothing fit. Most of my ideas only applied to the living. I leaned back against the wall of Darren's art room. I was back at our home, far away from Domino City. I couldn't bring myself to go into my room, full of music. I was bound to stumble across something in there that would make me want to go back. I couldn't do that. It was better this way for Seto _and_ me.

It took me three days to get home and I had already spent another three days here. The entire time, I left my music alone. I'd never realized how long a week could be until now. I sighed and stood up, walking out of the art room. I stood in front of the old mirror in the hallway and frowned.

"So much for being strong. You ran away," I muttered, berating myself.

I had to resist the urge to punch the mirror, shattering it. I left the small house in the middle of the woods and ran into the vegetation. I didn't need to hunt. I still had another week before that would come. I just needed to run, to be outside. It helped me clear my mind most of the time. I eventually came to the top of a large hill, overlooking the forest around me. It was green as far as the eye could see. As much as I liked the view from Kaiba's office window, this was by far my favorite scene. It was serene and easy to get lost in the beauty of it all. I inhaled deeply, the rich scent of pine filling my nostrils.

"I wish I knew what the right choice was," I mumbled.

The breeze picked up, cooled by the early November temperatures. Of course, I was in a knee-length black skirt and a red short-sleeved shirt. The cold had no effect on someone whose skin was colder than ice. I sighed, completely unable to lose myself in the view around me.

"What's wrong with me," I asked into the air.

I heard someone run towards me from behind. I whipped around and saw Serephine. She lived in the same general area, but in a different house from Darren and me.

"What are you doing here? Last I knew, you were protecting some company big-shot," she said, stopping beside me.

Her eyes were a bright amethyst, meaning she had hunted recently. I knew my own eyes were a dulling purple.

"I quit," I answered with a shrug, turning back to the scene below me.

"What do you mean? You ran away?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I-I had to get away. I didn't want to be hurt again."

"What happened," Serephine asked.

I sighed and explained the whole situation to her. She remained silent as I spoke.

"That's when I left," I finished.

Serephine stared at me in surprise.

"Scarlett, that's even more of a reason to stay. You don't want him to die because you ran away, do you," she asked.

"If I'm not there, he won't be killed."

"Darren's predictions are never wrong. You know that."

"I know, but," I stopped.

I couldn't think of any reason to explain my actions. I knew I had been lying to myself, but it was impossible to lie to Serephine. She knew me too well. She rested her hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes.

"Do what you have to," she whispered.

I nodded with another sigh.

"I need to think some more," I mumbled.

"Alright. I'll be at my house if you need me."

With that, Serephine left, running towards the east. I left as well, on my way back home.

I walked back through Darren's art room again, still unsure what I should do. My brother's favorite subject to paint was the wildlife around our home. He would also paint his visions with such vivid detail; one would think they had already happened. In the back of the room, I could see the three visions he had before. My eyes widened in surprise and I gasped.

"My God," I whispered.

The first painting depicted Seto and me. There were tears forming in my eyes as I stood before him. He was awestruck. I was leaning forward, ready to attack whatever was coming, my fangs bared. It was the same position I took when hunting, or felt threatened.

The second painting was the tragic one of Darren's overlapping visions. There was blood everywhere and I could see Seto on the ground. Tears flowed freely down my face in the painting, my face contorted in agony. I didn't even appear to be affected by all the human blood in the air. I quickly looked away, unwilling to stare at the painting any longer.

The last painting made me take a step back. There was a man with short, white hair and crimson eyes. He was a monster, a vampire that drank human blood. He was in the process of lunging forward. He didn't need to hunt, as his eyes were bright red. He was just going to kill because he could. I was standing in front of Seto, my arms outstretched and my eyes wide in fear. In the background, I could see Darren running to help. It didn't look like he would make it in time.

"No," I whispered.

I took another step back. There wasn't another painting to show another option. At that point, I knew what I had to do. I ran out of the house as fast as I could.


	15. Return

"Scarlett," Darren called as I ran towards him.

I threw my arms around him, causing a loud _crack_ to resonate.

"I thought you left," he said softly, rubbing my back.

"I saw the paintings. I couldn't stay away," I whispered.

"You went back home? _That's_ why you were gone for a week and a half?"

I nodded.

"Where's Seto? Did anything happen?"

"Kaiba's in his office. He's been a little down since you left."

"What do you mean," I asked, stepping back to give my brother some room.

"I think he's missed you, though he hasn't said anything."

"Of course he wouldn't. He's stubborn as an ox," I retorted.

"I think it would do both of you some good if you let him know you're here."

I nodded and ran past Darren, taking the stairs all the way up. I made it to the top floor faster than the elevator could. I opened the office door, not bothering to knock, and walked in. Seto glanced up from his work and had to do a double-take.

"Scarlett," he said in shock.

He stood up and walked around the desk, his eyes wide. I ran forward and wrapped my arms around him, careful not to hurt him. Seto was in shock for a moment before he wrapped his arms around my back.

"I thought you left," he said.

"I came back," I answered, pulling away.

"Your brother said you left without warning."

"I did. I didn't think I'd come back, but I was wrong. I went home, to clear my mind. I needed to make a tough decision."

"On what?"

"This," I answered and leaned forward, pressing my lips to Seto's.

He didn't move at first, obviously caught off guard, but soon relaxed. I pulled away and smiled up at him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Are you always so bold," Seto asked with a smirk.

I laughed.

"You know you like it," I answered, a grin on my face.

I realized a second later that my fangs were showing. Seto was completely unaffected by it.

"Why did you come back," he asked seriously.

"I realized I couldn't bear to lose you and I knew that if I wasn't here, you'd die. I didn't want to believe that at first, but I finally figured it all out."

"And what _did_ you figure out?"

"Something Darren already knew; that I love you. I'm too stubborn for my own good," I explained shrugging with my last sentence.

"I guess it fits, though, because you're stubborn too," I added with a smile.

Seto chuckled and my eyes widened slightly. I had never heard him laugh the whole three months I resided in Kaiba Corp.

"So, you're okay with me being a vampire," I asked.

"That doesn't make a difference," he answered.

The door behind me opened and someone walked in.

"Scarlett, you're back," Mokuba exclaimed.

I turned around and smiled.

"That's right," I answered. "Well, Seto, I'm going to go back downstairs with Darren. I'm sure he has a lot to tell me."

I walked out of the office and took the elevator down to the apartment I was once again sharing with my brother.

"Darren," I called when I entered the living room.

"I'm in the bedroom. I'm a little boxed in at the moment," he answered.

I walked into the back room and saw Darren sitting on the bed. He was surrounded by hundreds of papers.

"What is all this," I asked, looking around.

I picked up a sheet and groaned. It was a page of events yet to come. Whenever Darren couldn't paint out his visions, he would write them out, in full detail.

"More visions," I muttered.

"A lot more. Some of them don't have anything to do with each other, but I needed to put them somewhere."

"Taking up too much space in your memory banks?"

"This is serious, Scarlett. I can't tell what's connected and what isn't. I'm only getting bits and pieces of a picture. It's like trying to identify a song when given one note," Darren answered, using an analogy he knew I'd understand.

My joking mood quickly evaporated.

"So you don't know what will happen? You just know the smallest glimpse," I asked.

"Exactly."

"Why am I afraid now?"

"Because I saw this glimpse."

Darren handed me a sheet of paper that was next to him. I read through the short vision and started trembling. The paper read, 'Kaiba covered in blood, in pain. He had a cut across his stomach, soaking his clothes. Scarlett screaming.'

"No," I whispered.


	16. Unexpected Visitor

Never before was there a time I wished so much to be human again. I would have loved to say it was all a bad dream. I knew it was real, though. I wished it wasn't.

"Darren, please tell me there was an overlapping image," I pleaded.

My brother solemnly shook his head. I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, my hand over my mouth. I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes.

"Why does this have to happen? I finally get close to someone and now he's going to be taken away from me."

Darren moved the papers and walked over to where I was. He kneeled down beside me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"Scarlett, calm down. You don't know that for certain," he whispered.

"What else is it, Darren? One of your visions showed him dead. Now you've seen a vision of him injured, bleeding terribly, and that I was screaming. That means he's going to die!"

The tears finally flowed down my cheeks, seemingly without end. Darren pulled me closer as I cried on his chest. My whole body shook with my sobs. I wanted to stop crying, but I couldn't.

"Scarlett, it's going to be okay."

I shook my head.

"No, it won't. I'm not strong enough. I can't save him," I cried.

My brother held me tightly as I continued to sob into his chest. It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that I was able to stop. Darren didn't move the whole time.

"What do I do," I mumbled, wiping away my tears.

"We just have to see how it all plays out," Darren whispered.

"I wish I could stop it from happening."

"So do I. I hate seeing you like this."

"I can't save him. I'm not strong enough."

Darren lifted my chin to look me in the eyes.

"Listen to me, Scarlett. You're stronger than almost every person I've ever met. You're stronger than I am. Don't ever think any less of yourself," he told me.

I nodded, wiping my eyes again.

"A-Alright, "I answered.

Darren kissed my forehead and gave me a small smile.

The next day, I was listening to lively classical music in the living room. For a half-hour, there was no sound other than the flitting piano on my CD. Darren was in the back room, still trying to sort through all of his visions. Suddenly, I heard an ear-piercing shriek. I stopped the music and Darren ran out of the bed room. We stared at each other for a fraction of a second before running out of our apartment. We dashed down the stairs at full speed, down to the first floor. What we saw there made us both stop in our tracks.

The receptionist, the woman I met on my first day in Kaiba Corp, was being held in the arms of an unnaturally beautiful man. His lips were at her throat and she was trembling. Her face was growing paler by the second. The man holding her had short white hair. I couldn't see his eyes, but I knew they were bright red. He was the vampire from Darren's painting back home.

"Oh my God," another woman screamed.

The other vampire looked up and lunged towards her. Darren ran forward and shoved the man back with all his strength. The monster crashed into the wall, leaving a large indent.

"Scarlett, make sure Kaiba and Mokuba stay upstairs," Darren yelled.

I nodded and ran back up the stairs, up to the top floor. I burst into Seto's office and locked the door shut behind me.

"What's going on," Seto demanded.

I turned to face him, but saw that Mokuba was missing.

"Where's Mokuba," I asked.

"He went downstairs. Why?"

"Seto, stay up here. Shit, this is bad."

"What's going on?!"

"There's an attack and I don't know why!"

"By who?"

"Another one of our kind, except this one hunts humans," I answered.

Seto's eyes widened in shock. He took a step forward, planning to leave the office and save his brother. I stood in his way and firmly grabbed his shoulders.

"Don't go down there. Darren will keep that guy away from Mokuba. I'm going to go down there too, but you have to stay up here. You'll be safer," I explained.

With that, I ran out of the room. I hoped and prayed I wouldn't be too late.


	17. Risk

I ran through the hallways as fast as I could. There was no sign of Mokuba. After searching five floors, I went straight down to the first floor, figuring that was where he was headed. I stepped into the large room and saw Darren forcing back the other vampire.

"Scarlett, what are you doing down here," my brother demanded through clenched teeth.

"I can't find Mokuba," I answered, my eyes darting around the room.

There was still no sign of the teenage boy. I swore under my breath. I then heard the elevator coming towards that floor. I knew Darren and the other vampire had heard it too. There was a soft _ding_ as the doors opened, revealing Mokuba. The monster broke free from Darren and dashed towards the boy, whose heart rate increased. I darted towards the elevator and shoved the white haired man away. In that instant, I learned his name, Mircea.

"Mokuba, go back to Seto's office and lock the doors," I yelled.

He was frozen in fear, just like the first time I had saved him. Even worse, he was in between the doors, so they wouldn't shut due to the safety feature. I snarled animalistically as Mircea started to stand. I pushed Mokuba back with a flick of my wrist and pressed the first button my hand touched. Mircea lunged forward, his fangs searching for flesh.

"Scarlett," Darren yelled.

I pushed off the closed door of the elevator, ramming into the white haired vampire. There was a loud _crack_.

"Why protect your meal, dear one," Mircea asked as he pushed me to the side.

He was so much stronger than me physically. I crashed down to the marble floor and hit my head. Had I been human, that would have knocked me unconscious. Mircea started laughing as I stood.

"You love a human? How childish can one be? Don't you know humans are meant to feed us, not be loved by us," he asked.

I stared at him, wide-eyed.

"How do you know that," I asked.

"When you touched me, I learned of your past, all the way up until now. It's really quite a handy trick when I need to find your weaknesses."

There was a twisted smirk on his face and I immediately knew what he had planning.

"It appears we have a race to the top, Scarlett," Mircea said and ran through the doors leading to the stairs.

I knew there was no way I'd be able to beat him up the stairs, but there was another method. It would involve risking exposure, though. I threw that care out and ran outside. People already knew about Mircea anyway.

"Scarlett, what are you doing," Darren asked.

I didn't answer as I started climbing straight up the side of the building, moving as fast as I could carry myself.

"Dammit, Scarlett," Darren yelled and ran back inside, probably to take the stairs.

I made it to one of the window to Seto's office and punched the glass, shattering it. I leaped inside to find Seto and Mokuba both safe, for now. I picked up Mokuba and carried him to the other side of the room. There was a small space, similar to a closet, and I set him inside it.

"Stay in here and don't make a single sound," I ordered.

He had fear in his eyes, but nodded. I kissed his forehead before shutting the door.

"What's happening," Seto asked.

"Mircea's on his way up here," I answered.

"Who?"

"The monster who killed the receptionist! Seto, whatever you do, stay behind me. Don't leave any opening for him to get you."

There was a crash and I turned around, standing in front of Seto. Mircea had busted the door open and was standing with a wicked smirk on his face.

"It appears you made it here first, dear one. Very well. I shall destroy you before sucking your lover dry," he yelled, lunging forward.

I stretched my arms out to the side, fear flooding through me. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Darren running to save me. It was the same image in the painting back home.


	18. Almost Gone

Mircea's fangs dug into my neck and I could feel the venom entering my body. I cried out in pain, pushing him back with all my strength. I could hear Seto's heart race behind me. In the next second, Mircea has released me and I could see Darren before me. He had thrown the monster across the room, into the hallway.

"Are you," Seto started.

"I'm fine. I'll just be left with a scar," I answered, staring straight ahead.

Mircea stood, seemingly unaffected.

"That's the problem with feeding off of animals. They make you weaker," he said with a dark chuckle.

I hissed at him.

"Don't do anything stupid," Darren mumbled low enough that Seto wouldn't hear.

"What's the point in whispering? I can hear you perfectly, "Mircea asked.

He ran forward and darted to the left, making an opening for himself. He was going straight for Seto. Darren leaped in the way, getting bit on his right hand as the tried to force Mircea back. Seto took a step back in fear.

"Don't move," I warned.

My voice was dark and Seto stared at me with shock in his eyes. He had never seen me hunt, so this was all new to him. I crouched before him before pushing off the floor, tackling Mircea to the ground and away from Darren. I sank my fangs into his shoulder and ripped off a part of his flesh. It sounded like metal scarping and the vampire beneath me screamed in pain. I heard Seto inhale sharply before Mircea kicked me off of him. I spit out the stone-like flesh in my mouth, glaring darkly at the monster before me. I stood quickly while Mircea stumbled into a standing position, his hand over the new wound.

"I'll take you apart piece by piece if I have to," I threatened.

Mircea started towards me, but Darren tackled him to the ground first. I glanced over at Seto and saw that his eyes were wide. There was the sound of scraping metal again, along with Mircea's pained cried. I turned and saw Darren ripping away at the monster's limbs.

"We have to burn the pieces," I mumbled so Seto wouldn't be able to hear me.

"I know," Darren answered before tearing of another chunk of Mircea's flesh.

The shrieks pierced my ears, but I didn't care. I knew I had to get Seto and Mokuba out of the office. I heard Darren grunt as he tumbled to the side. Mircea had somehow managed to push my brother away. He now only had one arm and a few pieces missing from his shoulders.

"I'll kill you," he yelled and ran forward, pulling out a knife.

Seto jumped back just as Mircea swung the knife. A long gash was left in Seto's stomach and he stumbled back. Had he been a millisecond slower, he'd be dead. I screamed as I ran forward. I ripped Mircea's arm off from the elbow. The scent of Seto's blood in the air was thick and it burned my throat. I ignored it, though. I was in a frenzy, ripping and tearing away at the demon who had drawn blood. After only a couple minutes, Darren pulled me away. There was no recognizable part of Mircea. All that was left were pieces of him.

"I'll take care of the remains. You help Kaiba and Mokuba," my brother said in a strained voice.

I nodded. Then my throat burned even more with the desire for blood. It was almost unbearable. I held my breath and ran over to Seto. The wound was bleeding too much for me to even look at it.

"Come on," I ordered and helped him walk. "Mokuba, come out. Hurry!"

The teenage boy ran out of the place he had hidden. His heart was beating out of control.

"Calm down," I said.

I knew I was almost out of air in my lungs. I hurried the three of us out of the office and brought them to the elevator. Once we were inside it, I felt even worse. I started trembling slightly.

"What's wrong," Mokuba asked.

I shook my head rigidly, my mouth drawn in a line. We stopped at the first floor and exited the elevator.

"Mokuba, I can't do this. You have to bring Seto to the hospital. Don't tell anyone about this," I ordered.

Mokuba nodded and walked with Seto while I stayed behind, watching them leave. I ran up the stairs and stopped halfway up the building. I sat in the stairway and sighed, inwardly berating myself. I couldn't even go with him to the hospital, couldn't make sure he was alright. My throat still burned and I cursed it. An hour later, Darren found me there. He sat beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"You took care of Mircea," I asked.

"Yeah. He's not going to come back. Are you okay," Darren asked, concern in his voice.

"I couldn't go with them."

"It's alright. Scarlett, you haven't hunted in a week and a half. We're lucky you didn't crack when he was cut. I hunted just yesterday and I struggled. It takes a lot of willpower to do what you did."

"I can't bear to lose him. I sure as hell am not going to be the one to take him away," I answered.

"Go out and hunt, Scarlett. Then, go see him," Darren told me.

"What about the exposure?"

"We'll take care of that later."


	19. Oath

After I had hunted, I made my way to the city's hospital to see Seto.

"I'm sorry, miss, but I can't let you go back there. Only family," the woman at the front desk said.

"What are you talking about," I demanded.

I had to resist the urge to crinkle my nose. I hated the smell of hospitals. It was too sterile, too artificial.

"Miss, we can't allow you to see him."

At that moment, I saw Mokuba walking down the hallway with a drink in his hand.

"Mokuba," I called.

He turned and his eyes lit up upon seeing me.

"Scarlett, you're here," he exclaimed and ran towards me.

"You know her," the woman at the counter asked.

"Yeah. She's with us. Come on, I'll take you to Seto's room."

I followed Mokuba down a few hallways. I had to cover my nose with my hand.

"What's wrong," Mokuba asked.

"It smells terrible in his place. It smells fake," I answered.

"It's even worse for you, huh?"

I simply nodded. We neared Seto's room and I took my hand away from my face. We stepped inside to find Seto staring up at the television screen. On the news was the event that had taken place just a couple hours ago.

"It all happened so fast. I'm not really sure what happened," one of the women who worked in the building said, answering the news reporter.

I could tell Darren had worked his charm, convincing her not to tell what happened. I then saw Darren on the screen.

"Sir, can you tell us what happened here," the news reporter asked.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not obligated to answer any questions. Everything has been taken care of, though," my brother answered.

I turned off the television before walking over to Seto.

"My company's going to be run into the ground because of that white haired freak," he muttered.

I sat next to him on the bed and smiled.

"Darren and I will make sure that doesn't happen. We're good at cover-ups. You just worry about healing," I answered.

"I'm fine."

Seto tried to sit up and cringed in pain. I gently pushed him back down. I sighed and chuckled lightly.

"What am I going to do with you, Seto? You're far too fragile."

"Says who?"

"Says me. You see, Seto, that blade wouldn't have done much to me. In fact, the only thing that really leaves a mark in my skin is vampire venom," I explained, showing the faint scar that now adorned my lower neck.

It was a small, crescent moon shape, where Mircea's fangs had sunk it. Seto nodded in silence and I glanced at Mokuba. I sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that. So is Darren. That was something I had never wanted you to witness," I whispered.

"What happened," Mokuba asked.

He had only heard the fighting, but didn't witness anything.

"They saved our lives," Seto answered.

I turned to face him, a small smile on my face.

"Like I said, I can't bear to lose you, either of you," I said softly.

"I'm guessing you've fulfilled the prediction your brother sent you here for."

I thought back to the fight and shook my head, frowning.

"No. I only got through one. The one I was sent to protect you from hasn't occurred yet," I answered.

"So Seto could still die," Mokuba asked, fear evident in his voice.

"I won't let that happen. I swear on my very existence."


	20. Talents

I stared out the office window, watching as snow lightly fluttered to the ground below. The early December weather was finally kicking in. I watched as cars drove through the snow and slush. The once pure white clumps were already starting to turn a dingy gray. As people walked along the sidewalk, the all ignored the first snow of the season. I frowned.

"This is no way to watch the snow," I muttered.

"What are you talking about," Seto asked and turned his chair to look at me.

He probably was able to see the sheer boredom on my face.

"The city's nice and all, but the snowfall isn't all that great."

Darren chuckled behind me. He was sitting in one of the beige chairs with an art pad and pencil in hand.

"Don't move, Scarlett," he reminded me.

I pulled my expression back into a small smile for him.

"I hate when you make me the subject of your art. That always means I have to keep the same emotion on my face," I told him.

"Scarlett, you were saying how the view isn't all that great in the snow. Have you seen a better one," Mokuba asked.

"Much better. It's the view from our house in the woods. Just imagine watching perfectly white, fluffy clumps ease their way to the forest floor. It's even better when you're standing outside because then it's utterly silent. There's not a sound, but for the occasional rustling of nature around you. You can hear the heartbeat of every animal within a two or three mile radius. Of course, it's better if you don't need to hunt because then you can really take in the serenity of it all. Oh, sorry. I'm getting too vampire-like in my description," I answered with a quiet chuckle.

"It sounds nice," Mokuba mumbled.

I nodded.

"Don't move," Darren reminded me.

"Yes, your highness," I answered teasingly.

My brother looked up at me.

"Honestly, Scarlett, how old are you?"

"Ten years younger than you."

I stuck my tongue out at him with a grin. Darren rolled his eyes with a quiet chuckle and went back to his drawing.

Seto turned back to his work and the room was silent again.

"What's it like where you lived before coming here," Mokuba asked.

"There's no one around for miles. Serephine lives pretty close to Darren and me, but she usually stays over there. It's really peaceful out there. Hikers don't even go that far into the woods. It's nice. It's the only place Darren, Serephine and I don't have to be careful, especially after that whole incident with Mircea. Actually, Darren, I'm surprised how quickly we patched that up," I answered.

"It wouldn't have worked without Kaiba," my brother answered.

I glanced over to see him drawing quick, short lines. I figured he was working on the finer details of his work. I sighed and stared out the window again, watching the snow fall.

"Done. You can move now, Scarlett," Darren said after a few minutes.

I walked over to him and looked at the drawing. It was perfect, down to the last detail. It looked as if I was staring at the snowfall back home, rather than the city-scape.

"That's great, Darren," I mumbled, my eyes following the lines of his work.

Mokuba ran over and looked over Darren's shoulder.

"That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It looks exactly like her," he exclaimed.

"One of Darren's talents. He was very artistic when he was still alive. That not only carried on, but enhanced when he became a vampire," I explained.

"What's your talent, Scarlett?"

"Her voice. She sounds like she's taken years of vocal lessons," Darren answered.

I shrugged my shoulders shyly.

"I'm a musical person, but my voice is what improved," I said.

"Will you sing for us now," Mokuba asked.

"Maybe some other time."

Mokuba nodded and looked back at the drawing in my brother's hands. He seemed awestruck by Darren's work. I had to remind myself that he wasn't used to the near perfection my brother had in art.

"Hey, Scarlett, you guys are going to be here for Christmas, right," Mokuba asked after a while.

"I don't see why we wouldn't be," I answered and a smile grew on his face.


	21. Warning

The mid-December air whipped my hair around me as I walked through the snow-laden forest. I was on my way back to the city after hunting, but was taking my time. I still loved the winter scene of the woods more than I did the city. This just seemed so right. As I neared the city, I put my winter coat back on and zipped it up, so as to appear normal. The bulk of the jacket annoyed me and I wanted nothing more than to be rid of it. As soon as I was inside Kaiba Corp, I took it off. I took the elevator up to my apartment and threw the coat into the closet.

"Darren, I'm back," I called as I walked through the living room.

My brother stepped into the room, his mouth a hard line.

"There's going to be more problems," he told me.

"How soon?"

"I don't know."

"Should I warn Seto, or is it something else," I asked.

"The Volturi are sending someone to check on the situation," my brother answered.

My eyes widened in fear and I swore under my breath.

"They aren't sending him yet. I can't tell for certain, but I think it won't be for another month or so," Darren continued.

"Let's hope you're right," I mumbled and left the apartment.

I went up to Seto's office and walked in. He saw the look on my face and knew I had bad news.

"What's wrong," he asked.

I walked forward and stood in front of his desk.

"We're going to have some trouble coming our way in about a month," I answered.

"What kind of trouble?"

"To put it simply, the vampire mafia is sending someone to check up on us. It's because of that whole thing Mircea caused. He risked major exposure. The Volturi are sending someone to make sure humans don't know about vampires."

"And what if they find out Mokuba and I do," Seto asked.

"Under most circumstances, they'd kill you both. I won't let that happen, though. If we can convince them you and Mokuba don't know, then we might be okay."

"Why don't they come themselves, instead of sending someone?"

"Don't ever say that. You never want the three heads of the Volturi come. If they do, it usually means no negotiations. I've only heard of one instance where the entire community left their fortress, wives and all, and didn't kill everyone in sight. It had something to do with a hybrid child. Seto, please, just don't do anything to provoke the representative when he eventually come."

Seto nodded in response.

"Thank you. I want to keep you around as long as I can," I said with a smile.

I then leaned over the desk and gave him a quick kiss. I heard what would normally be an inaudible gasp and resisted the urge to chuckle. For some reason, that never ceased to leave him breathless. I turned his laptop towards myself and skimmed through the figures.

"There was an error in the spreadsheet and I'm trying to find it," Seto said, answering the question on my face.

"It's right here. The number should be 2450, not 2540," I answered, typing the correction into the computer.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am. I wouldn't mess around with your work if I wasn't sure of what I was doing. Is there anything else you need help with?"

"I didn't need your help in the first place."

"I know, but I gave it anyway," I answered, causing Seto to chuckle quietly.

"I have everything under control," he said after a moment.

"In that case, would you mind if I took Mokuba for a walk through the woods just outside the city. I'm sure he'd enjoy it."

"That's fine."

"Thanks, Seto," I said and kissed his cheek before leaving the office.


	22. Time With Mokuba

"You're going to love this, Mokuba," I said as the younger of the Kaiba brothers walked alongside me.

We were nearing the woods I would usually hunt in.

"Thanks for bringing me, Scarlett," he answered with a grin.

I stopped in my place and looked around; making sure no one was around to see us.

"What's wrong," he asked.

I kneeled down before him, my back facing him.

"Nothing. I'm just making sure there aren't any people around. Hop on."

Mokuba climbed onto my back and latched his arms around my neck. I stood with ease.

"You may want to close your eyes, if you get motion sickness easily," I told him.

"I'm fine."

I nodded and began running at my usual speed. Mokuba clung tighter to me and his heart raced. His cheek was pressed against the side of my head and I could hear this thoughts. Of course, that didn't offer much. All he was doing was praying we didn't hit any of the trees that were flying by. I knew he had his eyes wide open. I finally stopped a few minutes later, but Mokuba still clung to me for dear life.

"Mokuba, are you alright," I asked, gently unlatching his arms from around my neck.

"Y-Yeah," he answered shakily as I lowered him from my back.

I turned to face him and held onto his shoulders until I was sure he could stand on his own.

"That was insane," Mokuba mumbled after a minute.

"Sorry. I probably shouldn't have gone so fast. Are you sure you're alright?"

Mokuba nodded and we began walking through the woods, our footsteps crunching in the snow. He looked all around as we walked, his eyes wide in awe. I smiled softly at him. He looked like a little kid getting his first glimpse at the most amazing thing he'd seen in his life. Then again, that very well may have been the most amazing thing to him.

"What do you think," I asked in a whisper.

"Whoa," was all he could say.

We stopped in a small clearing where there were a couple of frozen logs. I brushed the snow off of one and set my winter coat on it. I then brushed the snow off of the other log and sat down. Mokuba sat on my coat and looked at me.

"You're not cold at all," he asked.

"Mokuba, you've felt my skin. The air doesn't bother me at all. Listen, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"Darren told me about something today that going to affect all of us. To put things simply, you and Seto aren't supposed to know what Darren and I are. You're not even supposed to know we exist. Because of Mircea, there was a huge risk of exposure, so someone is going to be sent to check up on us. If this person finds out that you and Seto know about us, then you'll be killed. Before you panic, please let me finish."

I could already hear Mokuba's heart rate increasing. He nodded a bit shakily.

"Okay," he said.

"As long as the Volturi, the ones who are sending the person to check on us, think that you don't know about vampires then you're perfectly safe. You'll have to be careful when the representative comes, because we don't know what power he'll have. You'll have to act like you simply know me as someone who works for your brother, maybe a little closer. I'm going to apologize in advance if I seem cold towards you in any way while the representative is here," I finished.

Mokuba nodded in understanding. I moved, sitting next to him, and wrapped my arms around him. I loved him like a younger brother and didn't want anything to happen to him. I knew I shouldn't have loved Seto and Mokuba as much as I did; I was putting them in danger with my very presence. I sighed as I let Mokuba go and we stood to continue our walk. It soon began snowing lightly and Mokuba grinned. He stopped walking and closed his eyes. I stopped as well, knowing what he was doing.

"It really is silent," he mumbled and I smiled.

"And there are four deer about thirty yards from here," I answered. Mokuba's eyes snapped open and he looked at me.

"You really can hear their heartbeats, can't you?"

"I can hear yours too."

Mokuba smiled up at me and took another step forward, through the snow.


	23. Holiday

**Well, with the holidays coming up at the end of this month... I couldn't resist writing a holiday chapter. Besides, I really wanted to use the song I'm doing in my chorus class, "Silent Night" in German. So, if there is anything wrong with the phrasing and you're fluent in German, please don't blame me. I simply wrote it down, punctuation and all, straight from my music sheet.**

* * *

I smiled as I looked around the living room of Seto and Mokuba's home. There was wrapping paper scattered around the floor. I wondered if Christmas Day was always like this. Mokuba's bright eyes showed his obvious delight as he opened his gift from me. I had given him a mixed CD of all of his favorite songs in my collection of music.

"Thanks, Scarlett," he called.

"You're welcome," I answered with a soft smile.

I looked around and watched as Darren drew in his art pad again. I walked over to him and looked over his shoulder. He was drawing Mokuba with the bright expression he'd had all day.

"That's great, Darren," I mumbled quietly, a slightly saddened tone in my voice.

I knew the reason he was drawing Mokuba all too well. Being vampires, we didn't age, but Seto and Mokuba would. Their life-spans were short compared to our eternal ones. I never liked to dwell on that fact, so I rarely did. I knew that Darren was drawing Mokuba like that so we could always remember him that way.

"Don't dwell. You'll get them all worked up," Darren murmured quietly enough that Seto and Mokuba wouldn't hear.

I nodded, put on a fake smile, and took my seat next to Seto again. He gave me a curious look.

"What's wrong," he asked.

He probably thought Darren had seen another vision. I shook my head.

"Nothing," I answered.

"Scarlett, why don't you sing for Kaiba and Mokuba? You did promise, after all," Darren suggested with a smirk.

I wanted to strangle him for bringing that up, though I knew it wouldn't have done anything.

"Which song," I asked.

"A Christmas song, of course."

I sighed quietly and Darren chuckled too quietly for the human ear to pick up. I stood up and walked over to an empty space across the room. I began singing "Sleigh Ride", one of the most upbeat Christmas songs I knew. Seto and Mokuba both had surprised looks on their faces when I started.

"I thought you would have sung 'Silent Night'. It's your favorite," Darren commented when I finished.

"I'm not singing another song," I answered, taking my seat again.

Mokuba then noticed an unopened box and read the tag. It was a small, thin box with sapphire blue wrapping paper on it.

"It's for Scarlett," Mokuba said, handing me the box.

I took it in my hands and read the tag. The gift was from Seto. I glanced up at him as I gently slid my finger under the edge of the paper. Once I had the wrapping paper off, I opened the box to find a thin, white gold chain necklace. It matched perfectly with the bracelet Mokuba had given me.

"It's beautiful. Thank you, Seto," I mumbled, putting the necklace on.

The chain rested right on my collar bone.

"Scarlett, come here and tell me what you think," Darren said.

I walked up beside him and looked down at his finished drawing of Mokuba.

"Perfect, as always," I answered after a minute.

"What is it," Mokuba asked.

Darren turned the art pad around to show the picture of Mokuba. Every detail was perfect.

"You know, Darren, I find it very funny that you make me sit perfectly still, but you can draw Mokuba when he's moving all around the room," I said with a laugh.

"You're a very complicated subject. It's harder to draw our kind than anything else," my brother answered.

I shrugged and sat next to Seto again. I rested my head on h is chest and could hear his heart beating rhythmically. I closed me eyes and heard Darren flip to a new page in his art pad.

"Don't move," my brother whispered and I knew Seto couldn't hear him.

"Thank you," I answered just as quietly.

This would be my favorite of all of Darren's artwork. The room was silent but for breathing and a little shuffling. I opened one eye and saw Mokuba reading the book Darren had gotten for him. I closed my eyes again and let out a content sigh. Once again, I wished I was human so I could have fallen asleep where I was. It wasn't until two hours later that Darren finished his drawing. Once he let me know he was done, I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. Mokuba had fallen asleep on the floor, leaning against the front of the chair. He still had the book in his hands. I glanced over at a clock and saw that it was ten thirty at night.

"He's asleep," I mumbled.

Seto nodded and started to move. I stood up and walked over to Mokuba. I picked up his book and placed a bookmark to keep his page. I took the fifteen-year-old boy in my arms and easily lifted him.

"He's a light sleeper," Seto warned.

"I think I can manage," I answered in a whisper. "Where's his room?"

Seto began leading me down the hallway and Darren stood.

"I'll be in our apartment," my brother whispered and headed for the door.

Seto brought me to Mokuba's room and opened the door for me. I gently set the boy down on his bed, though not gently enough. Mokuba's eyes cracked open and he groaned.

"Shh… go back to sleep," I whispered.

Mokuba shook his head and started to sit up. I pushed him back down and sat next to him, leaning so that my head was resting next to his. Mokuba turned on his stomach and groaned again. I gently rubbed his back as I began singing softly to him.

"Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht. Alles schläft, einsam wact. Nur das traute, hochheilige Paar. Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar. Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh, schlaf in himmlischer Ruh. Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin Mother and Child. Holy Infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace," I finished as Mokuba finally fell back to sleep.

I kissed his forehead before getting up and pulling the covers over him. I left the room with Seto as he closed the door behind us.

"You know German," he asked.

"Only that song," I answered with a smile.


	24. Here

I flipped through the pages of the newspaper, looking for anything that would help me find out when the representative would come. Perhaps there was some sort of strange happenings, though I doubted it. The Volturi wouldn't have been careless enough to let that happen. The representative was due any day, now that it was early January.

"They're sending Dmitri," Darren said after about a half-hour of silence.

"What," I nearly screamed, my eyes wide.

Seto jerked his head up from his work and looked at me.

"Darren, please tell me you made a mistake," I begged.

"No. It's him. I'm sure of it," my brother answered.

I swore under my breath.

"Who's coming," Seto asked.

"Dmitri. He's one of the Volturi's best trackers. Why they would send him is beyond me. Listen, he tracks people by their thoughts. You can't even _think_ of what Darren and I are. The best thing you can do is focus on your work. I'm going to need you to distract Mokuba from thinking of us as well," I explained.

"And how do you expect me to do that?"

"I don't know, but we're going to have to act like we aren't close to you at all. I have to pretend I'm here simply for the reason I originally came. It's the same for Darren."

"He'll be here some time in the next couple of days," my brother interrupted and I swore again.

"Calm down."

I lowered my voice so that Seto wouldn't hear me.

"What if this is the thing that kills him," I asked.

"Don't dwell on it."

"Don't tell me not to dwell on it. Seto's in danger."

"Scarlett, you're forgetting that I had an overlapping vision on that matter," Darren answered.

"No, I haven't forgotten. I'm just afraid it'll turn out the tragic way."

Seto was looking between my brother and me, trying to understand us. He was at a loss, though. Our conversation sounded like a low hum to him.

"As long as we're careful, you don't have to worry," my brother answered.

"You don't know that for certain."

"Please, just stay calm."

Darren had said that last sentence at a normal volume, loud enough for Seto to hear. I knew he wanted to end the conversation and I frowned.

"Whatever," I muttered before staring out the window.

I knew I'd need something to distract myself if I was ever going to make it through Dmitri's visit. I glanced over at Seto and saw the confusion on his features.

"It's nothing, Seto. I'm just worried," I said, answering his unspoken question.

I turned towards the window again and sighted. If I was human, I would have asked for a drink.

"What's going on," Seto demanded.

"Just focus on your work, please. The less you think about this whole thing, the better off you'll be."

"Scarlett, you should go downstairs," Darren suggested.

"And you?"

"I will in a minute. You need to clear your mind."

I nodded before leaving the room. I shut the door behind me, but stayed in the hallway for a moment. Just as I was about to start downstairs, I heard my brother speaking through the door.

"Don't hold it against her. She's afraid. She's just trying to keep all of us safe. Scarlett's trying to avoid as much pain as she can," Darren said.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I knew he was right.

"What is she afraid of," Seto asked.

"Losing you and Mokuba. That's why she's so frustrated. In sending Dmitri, the Volturi are taking away her ability to protect the two of you. She's going to be on her guard until Dmitri leaves. All I ask is that you take her advice and don't dwell on this."

I walked down the stairs, but Darren stopped me when I was halfway to our floor.

"Are you alright," he asked.

I laughed wryly.

"I thought I was supposed to be the mind reader," I muttered.

My brother chuckled in response.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Nothing that you don't already know. Thanks for talking to Seto, though. It makes this whole thing that much easier."

"Of course."

"I'm going to go out. I'll be back soon," I said before running down to our apartment.

I grabbed my winter coat and left Kaiba Corp. Once I was outside and in the forest, I felt better. I was finally able to collect all of my thoughts. I knew Dmitri was coming, but I didn't know how soon or where he was now. I sighed and began my hunt. I quickly found a couple of deer and drained them. It took only about a half-hour before I finished. I then sat on a fallen log and closed my eyes. I soon heard something running inhumanly fast. My eyes snapped open and darted around. The being was coming at me from the right. I turned my head and, in the next moment, saw someone with short brown hair and pale skin coming at me. He was wearing a black outfit and had a matching cloak. The man stopped about thirty feet away from me and I could see the crimson of his eyes.

"Who are you," I asked, standing.

"My name is Dmitri, but I believe you've known of my arrival fro some time now," the man answered.


	25. Trouble

There was silence between us and I couldn't speak. I could hardly think, other than how much I feared the Volturi.

"I understand your fear, Miss Moreene, but you and your brother are in no danger. I am here to take Mircea and to make sure there aren't any humans who know of our existence," Dmitri said calmly with a Russian accent.

"Mircea is dead. My brother and I made sure of that," I answered just as calmly.

"Well then, that makes my job easier."

There was a smirk on his face and I wondered what he was thinking. I nodded nonetheless.

"Would you mind taking me to the building Mircea attacked? I need to check the minds of those who work there," Dmitri requested.

"Of course. I have no problem with that at all. I only ask that you don't hunt in the city. I like staying here with my brother," I answered.

"Of course."

Dmitri and I ran through the forest until coming to the outskirts of the city. Dmitri scowled when he saw everyone walking in the streets. I figured it was because we could no longer run through the road. We soon made it to Kaiba Corp and entered the building.

"Welcome back, Miss Moreene. You're back earlier than usual," the receptionist, Melissa, said.

"It took a shorter walk than usual and found an old of mine. He'll be with me for the day," I answered.

I saw Dmitri nod slightly, pleased that the woman truly thought I went for walks every couple of weeks. Dmitri and I took the elevator up to the fifth floor so I could let Darren know he was here. I opened the apartment door and stepped in.

"Darren, I'm home and we have a guest," I said in a regular tone.

"I know," my brother answered, stepping into the living room.

He had a grave expression on his face and I briefly wondered if he'd had another vision. I then realized his vision most likely had to do with Dmitri coming.

"Nice to meet you, Darren. I've heard quite a bit about your ability to read the future with perfect accuracy," Dmitri said.

I couldn't tell if he was truly being pleasant with us, or if it was all an act. I didn't want to think about it, though. Either answer could have potentially caused us problems.

"Are there any humans who know of our kind," Darren asked low enough that no human listening in could hear.

He only did it to keep up the façade.

"Not that I can tell at the moment. I'll need to stay for the day to be sure, though."

"That's understandable."

"I should probably let Kaiba know about our friend's arrival," I suggested.

"I agree," Darren answered.

I left the room and took the elevator up to the top floor. I knocked on the office door before stepping inside. Seto was sitting at his desk.

"You're back early," he observed.

"We have a guest. I suggest you keep only your work on your mind. Either that, or sepnd time with Mokuba all day," I said.

"Already?"

I nodded.

"Be careful."

With that, I left the office and took the elevator back down to the apartment. As soon as I entered the room, Dmitri's head turned upwards. There was a twisted grin on his face. I knew he had heard something I wished he hadn't.

'_Shit,'_ I inwardly muttered.


	26. Just Might Have To

I could hear the elevator from where I was and it stopped on the seventh floor. I ran out of the room before anyone else could move and bolted up the stairs. I made it to the seventh floor just as Seto stepped out of the elevator. I grabbed him by his arm and pulled him into his apartment, where I knew Mokuba was. I slammed the front door shut and locked it. I pulled Seto into Mokuba's room, where I had heard his heartbeat, and locked that door as well. All of this happened in the course of just a few seconds.

"Which of you two just thought about vampires," I demanded.

Both of the Kaiba brothers just stared at me.

"We don't have time for you guts to be stunned. Just answer me," I yelled, panic trying to make me its prey.

"I was reading," Mokuba answered.

He still had his book from Christmas, a book on dragons, in his hands. I turned my attention to Seto and groaned.

"Seto, I _just_ told you not to think about us."

"In his defense, it's pretty hard to _not_ think of something," Mokuba stated.

I could hear Dmitri on his way up the stairs and knew Darren was trying to hold him back.

"How bad is it," Seto asked.

"Oh, not that bad, considering you're going to _die_ within the next five minutes," I yelled.

That's when Seto froze. His eyes widened and I could hear his heart racing. He feared for his life, and with good reason. In the next moment, I heard a crash from the living room.

"Dmitri, stop," Darren yelled.

I then heard him grunt in pain, followed by another crash. Seto and Mokuba looked at me.

"What's going on," Mokuba asked.

"Darren's trying to reason with Dmitri," I answered.

"Can't we escape? I mean, you can run inhumanly fast."

"Not faster than Dmitri and not with two people weighing me down."

I bit my lower lip, unsure what to do. I knew I needed to keep Seto and Mokuba safe, but I didn't know how. My hand balled into a fist as I heard more crashes from the other room.

"Mokuba, you have to escape," Seto said and I looked up in surprise.

"Are you crazy? He can't outrun Dmitri," I yelled.

I then saw Mokuba run towards his nightstand and push it aside. There was a small door, big enough for him to crawl through. Mokuba glanced back at Seto, who nodded in return. I watched as the teenage boy disappeared behind the door and Seto pushed the nightstand back into place. There was then a ripping sound from behind hime and I knew Dmitri had torn the bedroom door off its hinges. I darted across the room and stood before Seto. He had an awestruck expression on his face while I crouched in front of him, ready to defend his life. I knew I was now going through with Darren's vision. Seto would either die now or I'd save him. I was determined to make it the latter.

"Step aside, Miss Moreene," Dmitri ordered in a calm tone.

"In your dreams," I answered, a low growl rumbling in my chest.

"Your feelings for him are irrational. You know he'll die while you stay young forever."

"I won't let him die by your hands, or by any other vampire for that matter."

"Think logically for a moment. You can't possibly keep him forever."

"I don't care! I love him!"

"Am I going to have to destroy you in order to make you see the error of your ways?!"

"You just might have to, Dmitri," I answered darkly.


	27. Protection

Dmitri removed his black cloak, that twisted grin on his face again. I snarled at him.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Scarlett. This is your last chance to hand over the human," the Russian said, dropping the cloak to the floor.

"Never," I spat.

"Very well."

Dmitri lunged forward and knocked me to the side. Just as I stood, he started after Seto. The only thing I could think of was the tragic painting in Darren's art room. I grabbed Dmitri and pulled him backwards. We both landed on the floor with a loud _thud_.

"Seto, run! Find Darren," I yelled while Dmitri struggled against my grip.

I had my legs wrapped around his and my arms holding his back. Seto didn't move.

"Go, now," I screamed. Seto still didn't move.

It was as if he was frozen in place. Dmitri pulled on of his arms free and elbowed me in the rib, causing my hold on him to loosen. He freed himself from my grasp and started towards Seto again. I grabbed Dmitri by his wrist and flung him across the room.

"Seto, you're making it very difficult to protect you. Leave, now," I ordered.

"I'm not going anywhere," he answered.

"Dammit, Seto! You just can't take direction for any reason, can you? And where the hell is Darren?!"

Dmitri started chuckling darkly.

"Your brother had an unfortunate accident and fell out of a seventh story window," he said.

My eyes widened and I snarled.

"You bastard," I screamed

I knew Darren would be alright, even that fall wouldn't cause him much harm, but the thought of Dmitri stooping to that level disgusted me. The Russian man lunged forward again and I tackled him to the ground. I needed to buy more time for Darren to make it back up to where I was. I needed my brother's help.

"Yes, rely on your brother, just like you always do. You can't do anything without him, can you," Dmitri asked in a taunting voice.

I punched his jaw, knocking his head against the floor. He just turned his face towards me again and laughed.

"Is that all you can do," he asked.

"Shut up," I yelled and picked him up by the collar of his shirt.

I threw him into the hallway, leaving an indent in the wall.

"Don't follow me," I ordered Seto before going into the hall.

I found Darren holding Dmitri with his arms behind his back. There was a deep scowl on my brother's face. Dmitri merely chuckled.

"What's so funny," Darren demanded.

"No matter how badly you want to, you can't stop me. If you don't kill me, I'll kill the human. If you do kill me, the rest of the Volturi will come and kill you, as well as the humans. You lose either way!"

I scowled and punched him again; anything to shut him up. I knew he was right, though. If he didn't return with his report to the Volturi, they would send someone else or, even worse, come themselves. Dmitri started struggling against Darren's hold, but my brother shoved him to the floor.

"Is there nay way I can get you to leave Seto alone," I asked.

"Only in your dreams," Dmitri answered with a smirk.

He then shoved Darren off of himself and lunged at me. I was knocked backwards with a _crack_. I stumbled and landed on my back with Dmitri on top of me.

"I'll kill your precious human, then your brother and then you," he whispered, his lips just barely grazing my ear.

I snarled and kicked Dmitri off of me, pushing him back ten feet. Darren tackled him to the ground and repeatedly punched the Russian vampire. There was no wrath like those of my brother and me. Under normal circumstances, Dmitri would have been dead by now. If only he wasn't with the Volturi. Darren raised his fist again, but I stopped his hand.

"It's not worth it," I muttered.

"Do you finally understand, Miss Moreene? You've realized there is no way you can win as long as he's human," Dmitri taunted.

"Then I'll become like them," Seto said from behind me and I whipped my head around.

"What," I demanded.


	28. Save You

I stared at Seto in shock. I could hardly believe my ears. He wanted to become a vampire, like us, after everything he'd witnessed. It was unbelievable.

"You heard me," Seto answered and my jaw dropped.

I shook my head slowly.

"Seto, have you lost your ever-loving mind," I asked.

He stared at me seriously, unwavering. Dmitri chuckled again.

"What an unexpected turn of events? This changed everything. If we have your word that this human will be a vampire, then I will leave without anymore struggle After all, he was the only one whose thoughts had anything to do with our kind," he explained.

I couldn't think of a response. On one hand, I wanted nothing more than for Dmitri to leave. On the other hand, I knew Seto didn't have a clue what he was getting himself into with this. I shook my head, frustrated. I didn't know what to do.

"You have my word," Darren said and I jerked my head around to look at him.

He had released Dmitri, who just stood where he was.

"I need you both to agree. If not, how can I be sure Miss Moreene won't convince you to go against the Volturi?"

"I don't know," I mumbled.

"Just agree to it, Scarlett," my brother answered.

I looked into his amethyst eyes before slowly nodding my head with a sigh.

"Alright. He'll become a vampire."

"We'll check up on you," Dmitri answered with a smirk.

He walked past me and picked up his cloak. He then left the apartment as if nothing had happened. I wanted to punch something. My eyes stung as angry tears formed and I balled my hand into a fist. I turned around and faced Seto.

"Why," I asked.

I pressed my forehead against his shoulders and hit his chest with my fist. The tears spilled from my eyes and landed on his shirt. I grabbed onto Seto's white coat as I silently sobbed into his chest. I had never wanted for Seto to have to endure the pain I did. On top of that, he had Mokuba and the company. I could never ask him to give those up, especially not Mokuba.

"Why did you have to say that, Seto? Do you have any idea what you'll be putting yourself through," I asked.

H didn't answer and Darren remained in the spot he was standing. It was silent but for my quiet sobs. Seto wrapped his arms around me and pressed on hand on the back of my neck.

'_I'm returning the favor,'_ he answered mentally.

I looked up at him in surprise, causing his hand to fall from the base of my neck to my lower back. Could he be serious? He wanted to become like me to show how he loved me?

"You don't know, though. You'll have to leave behind Mokuba and the company for at least three years. Otherwise, you could kill everyone," I mumbled.

Knowing his presence was no longer needed, Darren left the apartment, probably on his way to find Mokuba. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to Seto's. More tears flowed down my cheeks as Seto slowly responded. It was bittersweet. We pulled apart and I rested my head on his chest. I knew I would never feel like this for someone again, but I couldn't stay. Seto had too much he'd be leaving behind if he were to become a vampire.

"Seto, you know I love you more than anything in this world, right," I asked.

He simply nodded. I knew it was his way of saying he felt the same way. Knowing that only made this harder. I sighed before speaking again.

"Then, you understand why I'll do what I'm going to."

"What do you mean," Seto asked.

"I can't stay with you. I have to leave, no matter how much it hurts. I'm just not the right one for you. I love you so much, Seto, and that's why I have to go. You'll be better off without me," I whispered.

Seto's grip on me tightened, as if he would hold me where I was. I kissed him one final time before running off. This time, I wouldn't be coming back. I couldn't return, for Seto's sake.


	29. Epilogue

Darren and I left that day, two years ago. We had left no trace that we had ever lived in Kaiba Corp. In fact, the only thing we couldn't repair was the damage from our fight with Dmitri. At least, that was the only physical thing we couldn't keep from showing we'd existed. We couldn't fix the hearts we had touched, or the constant ache in my chest. I had never wanted to leave, but I couldn't bear to put Seto through anymore danger. I couldn't allow myself to do the same to Mokuba, either. I swore to myself I would never return, that I would never come into their lives again.

Yet, there I was, standing just twenty feet behind Seto, hiding behind a tree in the woods I used to hunt in. I let a silent sigh escape my lips as I watched him. He was just staring up through the canopy. The sun shone brightly through the branches, leaving little blotches over the thin layer of snow on the ground. I wanted so badly to know what he was thinking. I heard him mumble my name a few times before. He obviously remembered me. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, into the clearing.

"Seto," I whispered softly.

He whipped around and stared at me in shock.

"Scarlett? Is it really you," he asked.

"If you tell me you've been having hallucinations, I'm gong to feel terrible… How have you been, Seto?"

"I'm out here. What does that tell you?"

I sighed. He'd missed me, a lot, and I knew it.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"Why are you here," Seto asked after a moment.

"I just can't stay away from you. You don't know how sorry I am for leaving you, how much I've missed you, how much I longed to see you again. I'm done running away."

Seto walked up to me and stared into my eyes.

"Do you still love me," I asked.

Seto's lips came down on mine as his arms wrapped around me. I rested my hands on his shoulders as the kiss deepened. Every emotion we'd both been feeling was intensified; love, longing, sorrow, pain. It all came out. When we finally pulled apart, I placed my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"What I said to Dmitri still stands firm," Seto said after a few minutes of silence.

"Really," I asked and he nodded.

I closed my eyes and listened in the stillness. It would be the last time I would hear his heart beating. After a few minutes, I moved my head until my lips brushed against the base of his neck. I sank my fangs into his skin and felt his muscles tighten as he tried not to cry out in pain. With that, we began Seto's new life, together.


	30. Alternate Ending

**READ THIS!!! **

**Okay, so I had my friend read my previous ending and she said it was too much like the Twilight series, as I knew it was. So, she thought I should make a new ending, but I wasn't sure how. She gave me the basic idea and I had to supply all of the details... You have no idea how difficult that was when she only gave me dialogue to work with. However, I was able to somehow come up with an alternate ending that came out really well. Now, here's your jobs, as my readers. I want you to read this chapter and tell me what you like better, my original epilogue, or this alternate ending. It's a little contest between my friend and me. So, please let me know which ending you guys like better.**

**-Minyonka**

**And, as usal, standard disclaimer applies.**

* * *

It had been two years since that day, since Dmitri attacked Kaiba Corp. Darren and I left that day, leaving behind very little evidence of our existence. The only thing we couldn't change, physically, was the damage done to the building from our fight. Of course, there were some things that just couldn't be erased, like the lives we touched and the hearts we broke, mine included. However, I swore never to return and I'd kept that promise for the past two years. I couldn't return to Domino City so longs as Seto and Mokuba were there.

I sighed as I walked through Darren's art room. Outside, it was snowing but I couldn't bring myself to watch it. As much as I adored the snowfall of the woods, I missed the view from Seto's office window. I shook my head, cutting off my thoughts. I sighed again as I went to the back of the art room. I was all alone in the house. Darren had left the week before to take care of some things. I didn't question it. After all, he was older than me and fully capable of taking care of himself. I liked the time alone, though. It allowed me to think without Darren's concerned glances. He worried about my stability, and I knew it.

I opened the closet in the very back of the art room and found five pieces of artwork. One was of Serephine. She was drawn soon after Darren was turned. The second picture was of me. It was a before and after shot. It was strange to compare the subtle differences. There was a third picture, of a beautiful woman Darren had gotten close to about fifty years ago. Her name was Celeste and he loved her as much as I loved Seto. Unfortunately, she died in a terrible accident. There was nothing that could have been done for her. The last two drawings made me stop. One of was of Mokuba that Christmas Day we had spent together. The final picture was of Seto and me. We both had our eyes closed. Seto was asleep and it appeared as though I was as well. I sighed and put the drawings back. That closet was the place Darren kept the drawings of the people he was closest to. They were his prized possessions. As I shut the closet back up, I heard a light knock on the art room door.

"You don't need to knock, Darren. It _is_ your room," I mumbled.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to be alone," my brother answered.

I shrugged my shoulders and turned to face him. He probably could have seen the sorrow in my amethyst eyes.

"It doesn't matter much, does it?"

Darren walked across the room and stood beside me. He opened the closet door and looked through his work.

"You miss them, don't you," he asked.

"I guess so."

Darren glanced at me skeptically before looking back at the artwork. He picked up the picture of Seto and me first.

"You were so happy," he mumbled.

I stared at the picture and sighed. I did look happy, very different than how I behaved now.

"What did you feel like… when you lost Celeste," I asked after a moment.

There was a slightly saddened expression on my brother's face at the mention of the beautiful red haired woman.

"A lot like how you're feeling now."

I nodded in understanding. Silence enveloped the room again. I could hear the hearts of every animal around our house.

"Scarlett, be honest. Do you miss them," Darren asked.

"Yeah."

Darren draped one arm over my shoulders.

"Do you still love him?"

I froze. I'd known I'd missed Seto more than anything in the world. I never admitted to myself that I still loved him, though. I knew that admitting that would just break my heart even more. However, I nodded my head as tears brimmed my eyes.

"As much as you loved Celeste," I whispered.

I looked up at my brother and saw the softness in his eyes. He pulled me into a tight, comforting hug. He pulled away before my tears could fall, though. With one arm still over my shoulders, he led me across the room.

"I'm glad to hear it. I wouldn't want to go to all that trouble for nothing," Darren said with a slight smirk.

I jerked my head up at him, wide-eyed.

"You didn't."

I stepped into the hallway and saw Seto standing by the door.

"Seto," I whispered and threw my arms around him, the tears finally spilling down my cheeks.

I could feel his arms around me, feel his warmth, and hear his heartbeat. I just cried into his chest and he remained still.

"Why are you here," I asked after a minute.

I still hadn't let go of Seto. I couldn't let him go again. His arms tightened around me and I knew his answer in that simple gesture. He came because I needed him, and he knew it. I nodded in understanding.

"I've missed you so much," I whispered.

Seto merely rested his chin on the top of my head. Darren walked away to give us time alone. I pulled away slightly, just enough to look up into his sapphire eyes.

"Seto, I-"

I was cut off by Seto's lips on mine. My arms wrapped around his neck and I cried as we kissed. Every one of our emotions was intensified; love, longing, sorrow, pain. We pulled apart and I rested my head on his chest, just listening to his steady heartbeat.

"Don't try to explain," Seto mumbled.

There was silence between us again. I didn't even breathe, afraid to ruin it. Finally, I spoke.

"Do you still want to become one of us," I asked in a whisper that was just barely audible to him.

I still had my ear pressed against his heart. Seto nodded. I moved my head away from his chest and pressed my lips against the base of his neck. I place a few feather-light kisses there before piercing his skin with my fangs. I felt his muscles tighten as he forced back a cry of pain. Once my venom had entered his bloodstream, I pulled away.

'_Three, two one,'_ I counted down in my mind.

There was still no sound, aside from that of Seto forcing back his pained cries. He withstood it longer than I thought he would have. Finally, he cracked and fell to the floor, clutching his throat and screaming out. I kneeled beside him and wrapped my arms around him. All that was left to do was wait. In just three days, we would begin Seto's new life, together.


End file.
